R-Type Dimensions Coming to Xbox Live Arcade

bcass · Post by **bcass** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 12:09 am

dave4shmups wrote:Are there any screen borders in the game? It doesn't look like it, from the screens at IGN.

Not if you select the in-game Widescreen option.

*edit* what TodayIsForgotten said

szycag · Post by **szycag** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 12:15 am

If they made the Japanese version harder and gave US players no way to change the difficulty this isn't a sale for me... that's really not fair and just bad design. Lack of customizable controls doesn't bother me since the defaults are managable IMO, but that's two instances where they scalped actual gameplay options in favor of more useless graphic options.

bcass · Post by **bcass** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 12:18 am

szycag wrote:If they made the Japanese version harder and gave US players no way to change the difficulty this isn't a sale for me... that's really not fair and just bad design. Lack of customizable controls doesn't bother me since the defaults are managable IMO, but that's two instances where they scalped actual gameplay options in favor of more useless graphic options.

No, it's only the MAME ROMs that are different. This XBLA release is exactly the same game world-wide. There are people from all over the world on the same leaderboards.

szycag · Post by **szycag** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 2:53 am

I'm an idiot.

About the black bars thing, is it just my television or are there bars on the left and right in widescreen mode? Just tiny ones, and the one on the right is smaller than the left one. It's only during gameplay I'm pretty certain.

Ended up buying the game by the way. Couldn't stop thinking about it. Pleased so far, although blazing through 80 lives in R-Type 1 was beyond embarrasing.

Fudoh · Post by **Fudoh** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 9:24 am

About the black bars thing, is it just my television or are there bars on the left and right in widescreen mode?

yes, there are. The 16:9 are derived from zooming in on the 4:3 image and stretching it a bit. It's more like a 14:9 image than real 16:9.

Afterbirth · Post by **Afterbirth** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 9:28 am

I've got black bars too. I just assumed it was my 16:10 monitor. Didn't realise it was happening on 16:9's as well.
I presume its to make the stretched image remain in ratio without "looking" too stretched.

bcass · Post by **bcass** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 11:17 am

There are no black bars on my 16:9 TV with the console and TV set to 16:9.

Klatrymadon · Post by **Klatrymadon** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 11:55 am

Force-negating bastards! I had to rethink my usual route through stage 2, and couldn't put my finger on why.

I was really down on 'Infinite Mode' initially, seeing it as a pretty shocking concession to people who don't really like shooters anyway, but the fact that it unlocks stages to practice on in the Classic Mode could have opened up the possibility of single-crediting R-Type II to thousands more people. Good show, Tozai!

bcass · Post by **bcass** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 12:17 pm

Klatrymadon wrote:I was really down on 'Infinite Mode' initially, seeing it as a pretty shocking concession to people who don't really like shooters anyway, but the fact that it unlocks stages to practice on in the Classic Mode could have opened up the possibility of single-crediting R-Type II to thousands more people. Good show, Tozai!

I thought that originally too, but starting the last three stages on either game without powerups is a nightmare.

Klatrymadon · Post by **Klatrymadon** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:39 pm

Hmm, aye, that's true. Still, most people probably wouldn't normally have had the patience to reach the third level in R-Type II.

TodayIsForgotten · Post by **TodayIsForgotten** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:47 pm

the only bars i see on my Widescreen TV are grey ones after beating a level.

krokodil_final · Post by **krokodil_final** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:48 pm

True. I like Dimensions. But 800 ms points had fit better, anyway.

gigadrive32 · Post by **gigadrive32** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 9:39 pm

Do people realize that what we have in R-Type Dimensions (wonderful new graphics, two perspectives for those graphics, classic 2D graphics, filters, 2-player co-op local and online play, could've easily been just a dream/fantasy/wish of R-Type fans that never happened, yet, it did happen.

I've often dreamed of a remade R-Type with more/new detail, shading, lighting, animation, etc. I still cannot believe this remake of both R-Type and R-Type II actually happened. I'm overlooking the games few faults. What game is perfect anyway.

bcass · Post by **bcass** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 4:19 am

Yep, it's not perfect, but it's an excellent package for the price. Just the online leaderboards were enough to sell it to me, never mind all the other extras. Sales don't seem so hot so far (approx. 12,000), so if you're sat on the fence, put your money where your mouth is and help get more shmups released on the 360.

TodayIsForgotten · Post by **TodayIsForgotten** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 6:30 am

bcass wrote:Yep, it's not perfect, but it's an excellent package for the price. Just the online leaderboards were enough to sell it to me, never mind all the other extras. Sales don't seem so hot so far (approx. 12,000), so if you're sat on the fence, put your money where your mouth is and help get more shmups released on the 360.

Its just about to break 13,000 after my last game. I don't think that is too bad. It was at 10,443 last night. so 2500 in 1 day. Sales have been pretty erratic as far as consistency is concerned. Wishful thinking, but hopefully it hits 50k at some point and maybe beyond. I too would love to see more shoot 'em ups released.

antares · Post by **antares** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 7:48 am

vgchartz has the game listed with nearly 20,000 sales on the first 3 days:

http://news.vgchartz.com/news.php?id=2957

bcass · Post by **bcass** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 7:54 am

Not sure where they get their figures from, but there are only 13,000 people on the leaderboards. I doubt 7,000 people bought it and didn't play it. Even amongst that 13,000 figure, there will be instances of multiple gamertags playing on the 1 console, so 13,000 leaderboard entries <> 13,000 sales.

ex.machina · Post by **ex.machina** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 8:54 am

bcass wrote:Not sure where they get their figures from, but there are only 13,000 people on the leaderboards. I doubt 7,000 people bought it and didn't play it. Even amongst that 13,000 figure, there will be instances of multiple gamertags playing on the 1 console, so 13,000 leaderboard entries <> 13,000 sales.

Yeah probably even slightly less due to people playing with multiple gamertags. I doubt there are a lot of people that download the game online but finally do not play it online.

krokodil_final · Post by **krokodil_final** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 9:46 am

You're playing in 3D or 2D? Im preferring 2D, 'cause the 3D One looks cheap after Delta or Final.

Klatrymadon · Post by **Klatrymadon** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 11:13 am

I'm finding that I tend to prefer the 3D graphics in the first game, where they often constitute a big improvement, but the original graphics in R-Type II, where the 3D stuff just isn't as expressive.

(Of course, I'm making sure I play in 3D most of the time anyway, just to see how everything's been redrawn.)

szycag · Post by **szycag** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 12:09 pm

I play in 2D most of the time, but 3D seems to give me a fresh perspective on things when the screen gets too crowded. The conveyor belt stage in R-Type for instance is a bit hard on the eyes. Switching on the fly turns out to be not such a bad idea.

Zaarock · Post by **Zaarock** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 1:36 pm

I've only been playing on 3D really(with retro 2.0 filter), I also like r-type 2's 3D graphics much more than 1s.

monkeyman · Post by **monkeyman** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 7:02 pm

3d for the most part, just to see how they've redrawn everything. However I find some of the tighter sections easier to judge in 2D (like sitting in front of the eye of the RType stage 2 boss)

Klatrymadon · Post by **Klatrymadon** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 7:22 pm

Parking in front of Gomander's eye is also made harder by the d-pad's being utterly dire. As nothing happens for a good half-second when you hold down gently, it's difficult to make the tiny on-the-fly adjustments to your positioning that are essential to doing well at R-Type. Or any shmup, really...

RuffNEC · Post by **RuffNEC** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 7:27 pm

anyone hast the new street fighter pad for the x360 ?

How plays the game with that pad?

TodayIsForgotten · Post by **TodayIsForgotten** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 8:06 pm

Klatrymadon wrote:Parking in front of Gomander's eye is also made harder by the d-pad's being utterly dire. As nothing happens for a good half-second when you hold down gently, it's difficult to make the tiny on-the-fly adjustments to your positioning that are essential to doing well at R-Type. Or any shmup, really...

I use the analog. Much easier than the d-pad. I prefer analog to any dpad really. The only issues i have are the occasional woops into a wall with the analog.

mrsmr2 · Post by **mrsmr2** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 9:07 pm

Klatrymadon wrote:Parking in front of Gomander's eye is also made harder by the d-pad's being utterly dire. As nothing happens for a good half-second when you hold down gently, it's difficult to make the tiny on-the-fly adjustments to your positioning that are essential to doing well at R-Type. Or any shmup, really...

Have you tried the d-pad mod? It basically involves filing away the inner wall of the plastic rim around the d-pad. It makes a noticeable difference.

antares · Post by **antares** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 9:17 pm

TodayIsForgotten wrote:I use the analog. Much easier than the d-pad. I prefer analog to any dpad really. The only issues i have are the occasional woops into a wall with the analog.

I saw your scores in the leaderboard. You did that with the analog pad?

Impressing.

Kiken · Post by **Kiken** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 9:39 pm

Klatrymadon wrote:Parking in front of Gomander's eye is also made harder by the d-pad's being utterly dire. As nothing happens for a good half-second when you hold down gently, it's difficult to make the tiny on-the-fly adjustments to your positioning that are essential to doing well at R-Type. Or any shmup, really...

That's why there are these archaic devices available for the 360 called "joysticks". You should seriously look into that.

Square King · Post by **Square King** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 9:43 pm

Just bought it - glad I did! I can one-life it through most of R-Type 1 and to the end of stage 2 in RT2!

Ah well. I'm just a little behind shmupnut on the RT2 overall score.