Deathsmiles PAL release (DATED: Feb 18th)

[dan76]

But people should really stop using "plays better" as a synonym for "plays more similar to the arcade version".

It depends on how much you bow down to arcade games I guess. For me I would rather play an exact copy of an arcade game - glitches, bugs, whatever - than an "improved" console version, that's why I'm buying these ARCADE ports anyhow. The whole point of owning these games it to get that arcade thing going - isn't it? If not, why buy them. Surely if you're buying an arcade port you want it to resemble the original game as much as possible.

If arcades aren't your bag then fair enough, take the other options, but the term "plays more similar to the arcade" generally means "plays better" to me... and I'm not the only one.

[Weak Boson]

I was looking forward to enjoying HD Deathsmiles on my LCD TV but for some reason I decided to concentrate on arcade mode to begin with and now playing 360 mode feels a little weird. I don't think arcade mode doesn't look as some are suggesting, though. Maybe I just have really bad eyesight but when I'm actually playing I don't notice much difference. The smoothing option certainly helps.

[IseeThings]

But people should really stop using "plays better" as a synonym for "plays more similar to the arcade version".

It depends on how much you bow down to arcade games I guess. For me I would rather play an exact copy of an arcade game - glitches, bugs, whatever - than an "improved" console version, that's why I'm buying these ARCADE ports anyhow. The whole point of owning these games it to get that arcade thing going - isn't it? If not, why buy them. Surely if you're buying an arcade port you want it to resemble the original game as much as possible.

If arcades aren't your bag then fair enough, take the other options, but the term "plays more similar to the arcade" generally means "plays better" to me... and I'm not the only one.

You've got to remember it's a mainstream release tho.

There is a reason that Cave's arcade games tend to stay in Japan, they're too bloody difficult for your average gamer.

The X360 modes combat this a bit, and add some graphical improvements to boot making the game more appealing, and salable to the mass market outside of Japan.

The X360 mode is meant as a playable, modern game which somebody with a 360, who plays normal 360 games stands a reasonable chance of being able to 1CC. The original arcade modes are designed to brutal coin eaters to your average player.

For this reason, I prefer playing the 360 version, although sticking the thing on LV999 for laughs is always fun too

[StarCreator]

The X360 mode is meant as a playable, modern game which somebody with a 360, who plays normal 360 games stands a reasonable chance of being able to 1CC. The original arcade modes are designed to brutal coin eaters to your average player.

For this reason, I prefer playing the 360 version, although sticking the thing on LV999 for laughs is always fun too

I'm not entirely sure I agree on 360 mode being easier - yes, it relaxes restrictions on what levels you can pick for the front 6 stages, but the game also runs faster than the arcade, especially in the lead up to and including the last boss (especially if you pick the extra stage, which is no longer hidden behind a scoring prerequisite). In the end, I'd rate the 360 mode to be more difficult than Arcade overall.

[Sumez]

It depends on how much you bow down to arcade games I guess. For me I would rather play an exact copy of an arcade game - glitches, bugs, whatever - than an "improved" console version, that's why I'm buying these ARCADE ports anyhow. The whole point of owning these games it to get that arcade thing going - isn't it? If not, why buy them. Surely if you're buying an arcade port you want it to resemble the original game as much as possible.

If arcades aren't your bag then fair enough, take the other options, but the term "plays more similar to the arcade" generally means "plays better" to me... and I'm not the only one.

Let's just say I think there's a reason they call it "Xbox360 mode", and not "HD arcade" mode. If you want to play a simulation of the arcade game, you got a pretty good arcade port (one of Cave's better, I think) in Arcade mode, so let's not try to make the other modes into that as well.

Sure, you can be of the OPINION that the game should play like the arcade original in order for you to enjoy it, but there's absolutely no way you can argue that the company making a new version with a bunch of obvious improvements will always make it a worse game because it is less like the arcade original made by the same company.
Sure there could be some decisions made for a particular mode that you don't enjoy, and that's fine, but that doesn't mean it's not POSSIBLE to make something that's objectively better, that's just being biased.

I personally enjoy that I'm able to dodge the bullets more exactly in the HD version of Deathsmiles, and the fact that the slowdown isn't 100% "accurate" is not gonna change that, geeze...


As for arcades being "my bag", I love arcade games, I got my arcade cab at home and a whole bunch of classic games for it on original PCB's, and when I do buy a ported arcade game, I'm usually not content with it being subpar to the arcade original, and go for the release that's closest to arcade perfect or comes with a bunch of improvement, even if that means some cheap compilation of emulated games put out as a budget release a decade later.
But I love console games as well, and I'll play the console versions for what they are, if the developer took time to make a special console version of a good game.

[Naryoril]

But people should really stop using "plays better" as a synonym for "plays more similar to the arcade version".

It depends on how much you bow down to arcade games I guess. For me I would rather play an exact copy of an arcade game - glitches, bugs, whatever - than an "improved" console version, that's why I'm buying these ARCADE ports anyhow. The whole point of owning these games it to get that arcade thing going - isn't it? If not, why buy them. Surely if you're buying an arcade port you want it to resemble the original game as much as possible.

If arcades aren't your bag then fair enough, take the other options, but the term "plays more similar to the arcade" generally means "plays better" to me... and I'm not the only one.

why buying an arcade port without needing to have an exact copy? because i like these games? because there are no arcades to play the original anyway? because the port is way cheaper than a cab and a PCB and takes much less space in your living room? i for one don't care if it's an arcade port or if it's a brand new game. there are no arcades around here, so the former and the latter are the same in reality.

[spadgy]

A week on the road and I come back to find my score trounced. I need to get back on this!

[StarCreator]

I personally enjoy that I'm able to dodge the bullets more exactly in the HD version of Deathsmiles, and the fact that the slowdown isn't 100% "accurate" is not gonna change that, geeze...

Are you honestly saying that the speed at which bullets are traveling have absolutely no effect on your ability to dodge it?

I didn't really disagree with anything else in your post, but, uhh, wow.

[dan76]

Sure, you can be of the OPINION that the game should play like the arcade original in order for you to enjoy it, but there's absolutely no way you can argue that the company making a new version with a bunch of obvious improvements will always make it a worse game

Terms like "obvious improvements" and "worse game" are purely down to OPINION (thanks for that). It's pointless to argue about. Some prefer the 360 modes, some don't. Neither can be said to be "better" for sure. One is closer to the original, so in my OPINION it's "better" - for me, that is.

Either way, the game is great - I've been playing all modes and posting up some replays (having the game for two years already has some advantages...)

Last time I checked you had just dropped a place Spadgy

[Sumez]

I personally enjoy that I'm able to dodge the bullets more exactly in the HD version of Deathsmiles, and the fact that the slowdown isn't 100% "accurate" is not gonna change that, geeze...

Are you honestly saying that the speed at which bullets are traveling have absolutely no effect on your ability to dodge it?

I didn't really disagree with anything else in your post, but, uhh, wow.

I wasn't commenting on the speed of the travel, but on the "accuracy" of said speed, for better or worse. It's two different things (the HD thing and the slowdown thing) that work completely unrelated to eachother, and that was what I was trying to point out here - I doubt you can disagree with that.
Better now?

[defected78]

Can any UK gamers confirm if this works on score attack.

All of my xbox 360 games work online but the cave games are not letting me do a score run. Get kicked off of XBL.

[dan76]

Works fine for me - it's only kicked me off once.

[banjoted]

Can any UK gamers confirm if this works on score attack.

All of my xbox 360 games work online but the cave games are not letting me do a score run. Get kicked off of XBL.

I've been having the same issues. Spoke to Rising Star about it today. It was the first they've heard of it but I know of at least two others (aside from myself and you) who've had the same problems. About to try it now so we'll see if there have been any improvements.

[banjoted]

Still having the disconnection issues. Managed to finish three runs but was also kicked three times. Will ask Rising Star again tomorrow.

[Sumez]

Sounds like Microsoft is your problem, and not RSG.

[defected78]

Worked ok last night. Strange.

[BPzeBanshee]

People in Australia: Look at JB Hifi for Deathsmiles, I found it and bought it there.

Too bad the one I bought from Skykid still hasn't arrived though.

[spl]

People in Australia: Look at JB Hifi for Deathsmiles, I found it and bought it there.

Too bad the one I bought from Skykid still hasn't arrived though.

Ah ok, I went to EB games and they don't even have it listed in the database! It's like it does not exist.

[emphatic]

People in Australia: Look at JB Hifi for Deathsmiles

JailBait Hifi?

[Wonderbanana]

Sounds like Microsoft is your problem, and not RSG.

The same thing sometimes happens to me (including last night) and I don't have any issues with any other games.

Still it's only a minor gripe in what is a cracking release otherwise.

[elvis]

People in Australia: Look at JB Hifi for Deathsmiles, I found it and bought it there.

Too bad the one I bought from Skykid still hasn't arrived though.

Bought my copy from ozgameshop.com. I refuse to buy off Australian shelves with the stupid prices we're being charged.

[BPzeBanshee]

People in Australia: Look at JB Hifi for Deathsmiles, I found it and bought it there.

Too bad the one I bought from Skykid still hasn't arrived though.

Bought my copy from ozgameshop.com. I refuse to buy off Australian shelves with the stupid prices we're being charged.

Yeah, Aussie charges at the retail stores are fairly shit but doing stuff online through general shops where "PayPal, Bank Info or Piss Off"(TM) isn't an option for me. I've imported a copy from Skykid which hasn't arrived, spat chips when I saw it at JB Hifi and bought it there worrying that the imported copy was going to get lost in the mail. Apparently UK to AUS mail takes up to some 6 weeks though.

People in Australia: Look at JB Hifi for Deathsmiles

JailBait Hifi?

In all fairness the shop's pretty good. Position-wise the JB Hifi store nearest to my house is a godsend, and it has pretty much everything I'm interested in looking at and nothing shit like Harvey Gnorman.

People in Australia: Look at JB Hifi for Deathsmiles, I found it and bought it there.

Too bad the one I bought from Skykid still hasn't arrived though.

Ah ok, I went to EB games and they don't even have it listed in the database! It's like it does not exist.

When I went around my local retailers a month or so ago, JB Hifi's staff had no idea and were a bunch of incompetent pains, GAME's staff member that saw to me was okay but gives me a slightly elitist impression (asian cultural barrier Im guessing, most where I live are like that and they don't really realise), and EBGames' had nothing on it either but the guy that served me there was quite keen and lead to an interesting conversation regarding pinball machines and games of the 90s.
The lack of information from the major retailers in general is quite pathetic, but I do like the EBGames staff even if their standard price charges are more expensive than the other stores. One of my mates in Adelaide went to EBGames and asked about it and the person there said "OH THAT COOL CAVE GAME! No, we dont have it sadly, but if you know where to get it please let me know!".
And as for the price I tell them what JB Hifi sells the same game for and they match it.

[Skykid]

Apparently UK to AUS mail takes up to some 6 weeks though.

Not that long. It typically can take a while I'm told, but there will certainly be a point when we'll have to accept the postman has decided on some bullet hell antics over delivery.

However, there's still a good chance it's en-route at present.

[spadgy]

I'm sure it will make it to you. He's horrendous on the eye, but Skykid is a damn fine seller.

[BPzeBanshee]

Apparently UK to AUS mail takes up to some 6 weeks though.

Not that long. It typically can take a while I'm told, but there will certainly be a point when we'll have to accept the postman has decided on some bullet hell antics over delivery.

However, there's still a good chance it's en-route at present.

NEW CAVE ARRANGE MODE: Postman Pat edition! Get your mail delivery across the world by dodging rain, tax letters and flying red tape!

I do hope it gets here, and its not like I'm lacking confidence in you or anything but not knowing how or when it's going to arrive is putting quite the worry on the nerves. Short of Raiden Fighters Aces getting released and avoiding Australia I dont think I'll be importing anything again any time soon.

[hoopy]

I do hope it gets here, and its not like I'm lacking confidence in you or anything but not knowing how or when it's going to arrive is putting quite the worry on the nerves. Short of Raiden Fighters Aces getting released and avoiding Australia I dont think I'll be importing anything again any time soon.

Yeah I know what you mean. My nerves are shot too. I'm waiting for Mushihimesama Futari 1.5 to turn up, ordered it from a company based in Hong Kong. I've never imported a game before, but I'm enjoying Deathsmiles so much I decided to take the plunge.

Hope your Deathsmiles turns up soon.

[BPzeBanshee]

I do hope it gets here, and its not like I'm lacking confidence in you or anything but not knowing how or when it's going to arrive is putting quite the worry on the nerves. Short of Raiden Fighters Aces getting released and avoiding Australia I dont think I'll be importing anything again any time soon.

Yeah I know what you mean. My nerves are shot too. I'm waiting for Mushihimesama Futari 1.5 to turn up, ordered it from a company based in Hong Kong. I've never imported a game before, but I'm enjoying Deathsmiles so much I decided to take the plunge.

Hope your Deathsmiles turns up soon.

Thanks, same to you and your 'HARDEST VIDEO GAME BOSS EVER' piece of gaming goodness.

[Wonderbanana]

My new soundtrack dropped on the door mat today. Props to RSG; a lot of pubs wouldn't have bothered.

[spadgy]

My new soundtrack dropped on the door mat today. Props to RSG; a lot of pubs wouldn't have bothered.

Shit - I need to sort this!

[mice]

A collegue (non-shmupper!) brought this with him to work today...a minute of play later I went to the shop and bought it.
Great fun. Never expected it, actually, me not being a Cave-fan-boy.
But this loli-crap theme is so unnecessary.