Shin Akai Katana Confirmed for North America

[KindGrind]

Had to order mine from Video Game Plus since the game is apparently nowhere to be found in the province, thanks to the same old French insert being compulsory retardedness.

Here's hoping they come through quickly (first time using them...)

We'll see!

[Marc]

Just played a few credits. To be honest, the first word that springs to mind is gimmicky. I dunno, maybe I'm yet to find the groove but it's not wowing me so far. I'm actually wondering if Cave and Hori simply doesn't agree with me full stop.

[Avatar Ignis]

Just played a few credits. To be honest, the first word that springs to mind is gimmicky. I dunno, maybe I'm yet to find the groove but it's not wowing me so far. I'm actually wondering if Cave and Hori simply doesn't agree with me full stop.

Thats how you feel about both origin/climax and slash modes?

[Marc]

Not tried Slash yet.

[Drachenherz]

Not tried Slash yet.

Hmm... I got a feeling you could like it very much...

Yes, it is "gimmicky", but using the scoring system actually is pretty intuitive. And RSGs tutorial explains the system very well.

I just wanted to quickly try out Akai Katana tonight and was hooked for about 2 hours without realising how quickly time flew by.

[Deca]

the first word that springs to mind is gimmicky

For me it was "sloppy."

[Op Intensify]

Score gimmicks have been an inseparable part of shmupdom ever since DDP introduced full-stage chaining. (Or if you really want to go back, since Omega Fighter pioneered the Ketsui scoring system.) I think they're responsible for a good deal of the enjoyment many of us have gotten out of the genre.

[TheSoundofRed]

AK Arcade and Zetsu scoring is all about controlling enemy fire, similar to Progear. But with AK you can use the Phantom mode to position bullets more easily and without as much knowledge of enemy placement or attack patterns. I like the scoring myself, but I can see how a game primarily focused on bullet-cancelling could feel "sloppy" and "gimmicky".

To each his own.

[Skykid]

the first word that springs to mind is gimmicky

For me it was "sloppy."

For me it was a "goldmine of possibilities."

[casualcoder]

If those vids that have almost constant slowdown from stage 2 onwards are at all accurate, then I still don't recommend it to a newbie, even if that makes it easier (which I kind of doubt, but whatever), simply because who the fuck would want to play a game with constant slowdown?

You're forgetting that slowdown only really happens whe you are playing for score and know exactly the right time to cancel bullets. Slowdown isn't given, it is earned. A newbie trying to get better eventually seeks out how to create slowdown even if they are not interested in scoring, if only for pure survival.

[Marc]

Played another few credits, and I think my main beef is that it doesn't feel like a hori, it plays more like a ghetto vert. Granted, not being a Darius fan, it's been a hell of a long time since I played a new hori to compare it too, but the sniping really winds me up in this, seems nowhere is safe from an unexpected bullet up the ass. I'll play some more because I do like it visually and I can see that's there's depth to be had, but I'm wondering if it's the sort of depth I care for at the moment.

[trap15]

For me it was a "goldmine of possibilities."

+1

EDIT: Made it more obvious which position I agreed with

[Strider77]

gimmicky and sloppy....

really? please... get real and play your games till you understand how it works.

[Skykid]

In their defence AK Shin (and arcade too I suppose) can be a little bewildering at first, there's a lot to get a handle on. "Sloppy" is certainly jumping the gun though. Shin is a fine tuned exercise of stretching a rubber band as far as it will go, and then letting it snap through fields of popcorn enemies and racing after the gold. Glorious stuff.

[mesh control]

Shin is a fine tuned exercise of stretching a rubber band as far as it will go, and then letting it snap through fields of popcorn enemies and racing after the gold. Glorious stuff.

I think another company did that a few years ago...

[Marc]

gimmicky and sloppy....

really? please... get real and play your games till you understand how it works.

Any need? I understand perfectly well how it works thanks, I simply posted a first impression as I assumed that's kind of what this thread was for - y'know to chat about the game and stuff?

[Strider77]

I know... just chatted about my long term impressions of the game back. It was a bit snarky though I guess.

Shin is a fine tuned exercise of stretching a rubber band as far as it will go, and then letting it snap through fields of popcorn enemies and racing after the gold. Glorious stuff.

So satisfying to see a full set of katanas slowly chug and plow threw everything on the screan releasing TONS of gold icons. Fun stuff.

[Deca]

gimmicky and sloppy....

really? please... get real and play your games till you understand how it works.

I was only talking about Origin, which I cleared and scored better than the majority of the forum on. I think I've played enough games seriously enough to be entitled to an opinion on this one.

Shin seems a lot better than Origin, I need to spend more time with it and figure it out.

[Strider77]

I'm only talking shin.

[casualcoder]

If memory serves, I remember there was an early hate-on for deathsmiles. People would complain how easy it was to 1cc, the overall theme, the wacky scoring conditions, missing slowdown, broken slowdown, etc. But then it became something of a hit for hardcore and casual alike.

Ive certainly learned over the years to not trust my first impressions with shmups. If I take these comments too seriously I wouldn't even play the game as soon as it arrives (today?) and just keep up with Esp2. People need to give time to see the full potential. A good super play DVD is always good for that (are the any yet?)

Now, my patience is wearing for Street Fighter X Tekken... But I think even that game may come around...

[Bee Cool]

Now, my patience is wearing for Street Fighter X Tekken... But I think even that game may come around...

This is where you lost me. Don't be delusional.

[Tokyo-J]

Now, my patience is wearing for Street Fighter X Tekken... But I think even that game may come around...

This is where you lost me. Don't be delusional.

I kept playing Street Fighter X Tekken hoping it would do something new and it did not. Just felt like a update to SSFIV which is not bad just the Super Art system could of used a make over.

Now King Of Fighters XIII is one helluva fighter!

[Skykid]

If memory serves, I remember there was an early hate-on for deathsmiles.

Long may it continue.

[Strider77]

I like deathsmiles

[Deca]

I'm pretty neutral on deathsmiles, never hated it. I never spent enough time with it to figure out how to effectively deal with Death Mode though, always figured I'd go back to it at some point.

[Avatar Ignis]

can you fight the tlb in slash and slash novice mode?

[Marc]

I know... just chatted about my long term impressions of the game back. It was a bit snarky though I guess.

Shin is a fine tuned exercise of stretching a rubber band as far as it will go, and then letting it snap through fields of popcorn enemies and racing after the gold. Glorious stuff.

So satisfying to see a full set of katanas slowly chug and plow threw everything on the screan releasing TONS of gold icons. Fun stuff.

Fair play mate, I've only had a few hours so still feeling my way. Some things feel more concrete now, but I'm finding cancelling bullets really hit and miss and don't know what I'm doing wrong. I'm only playing Climax at present, I feel like I should try out the original system first.

[NeoStrayCat]

Can you fight the tlb in Slash and Slash Novice mode?

Slash Normal Yes, but Slash Novice, not really sure, but I'm guessing no, unless someone wants to test it out and see...

But good luck getting to it in 1 life.

[Drachenherz]

I just heard that the PAL-Version has been postponed back to June 8th...

Well... If it ever gets published, with the bankrupt DTP as publisher...

That's why I ordered the PAL-compatible us-version.

[iconoclast]

can you fight the tlb in slash and slash novice mode?

Slash is the only mode that has the TLB. I'm not sure if he appears in Novice mode, though I don't see why not.