Monthly Shmup Club - March 2023 - Gradius 2

[clippa]

I don't want to come over all "tutorial" and end up in your bad books, but I'm gonna risk my arm here and suggest that it might be worth another look if you've written it off.

Normal mode (called "very hard") feels a bit too easy, but I think that's intentional, beckoning players of all skill levels further up the screen where they belong. The later difficulties are much more interesting. You really have to watch how far you're pushing rank in those modes. You unlock different game modes and difficulties as you play.

I can't remember playing the tutorial. I don't know how in depth it goes, but picking up the red orbs raises your rank/score multiplier by 5, and collecting the green orbs lowers it by 1.
Your rank is always rising automatically, slowly at first, but then faster as it gets higher. Bombing or getting hit also makes you drop rank, so it's all about the risk/reward of pushing it as far as you can, or finding your sweet spot and riding the wave.

I did have a few gripes with it. The player ship is huge, though the hitbox seems to be a small portion at the top of the middle third of the sprite. It all seems intentional, what with the game being about all or nothing risk taking, and getting up close and personal. Everything's a lot more zoomed in than most shmups, it definitely feels like they've gone for a claustrophobic feel.

Because it's so zoomed in, the play area in some stages can be wider than the screen so the background scrolls horizontally when you move left and right and this can make trying to dodge some of the bullets in the foreground a frickin nightmare, though it does seem to become more readable the more you play.

Screenshake is a little overdone, but again, seems intentional, it's all purposefully in your face and rocking your world. I think the screenshake was toned down in a patch but with no patch notes, it might have just been my imagination.

Sorry if I'm teaching you how to suck eggs there. I know it's not for everyone but I had a great time with it.

[FRO]

Thanks for the good info, clippa! I hadn't looked too much into the game yet, because I kind of wanted to experience it on the fly, but this is good to know up front, regarding the rank. That will definitely inform how I approach the game this month

[FRO]

Sega is no stranger to arcade shoot-em-up games, as demonstrated by early hits, such as Zaxxon, its sequel Super Zaxxon, or the lesser known Star Jacker. Sega didn't stick with the genre that long, though, as the market had become flooded during the early 1980's arcade boom. The story goes, that someone in a position of power at Sega saw Konami's success with Gradius in Japan in 1985, and decided Sega needed to have their own, similar game. Designer Yoji Ishii was given the task, and rather than make a clone, he took the design in a very different direction, adopting a free-scrolling approach, like Williams' Defender, and giving the game a very bright, colorful look, paired with a set of very cute, whimsical characters, and a very fantastical setting, which became the game's namesake. That game, of course, is Sega's classic, Fantasy Zone.

Fantasy Zone was a success in the arcade, and appeared on many consoles and home computers during the 1980's and early 90's, including the Famicom, NES, Sega Master System, MSX, Sharp X68000, TurboGrafx-16, and more. It received an arcade-perfect port on the Sega Saturn in 1997, as well as receiving multiple iterations on the PlayStation 2. The arcade version is unlockable in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for PS3 and Xbox 360, received a 3D port on the Nintendo 3DS, and has now been given the M2 Sega Ages treatment on the Nintendo Switch. With so many ways to play, there's no excuse to sit this one out. Join the RF Generation Shmup Club as we team up with Opa-Opa, and fight off an enemy invasion on multiple planets, as we play Fantasy Zone in May 2020!

Sign up here to participate:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=19313.0

[FRO]

June 2020 brings something different to the table, where the RF Generation Community Playthrough will be teaming up with the RFG Shmup Club, and tackling a game that could be considered "shmup adjacent" in many ways. From prolific STG designer Psikyo, and arcade stalwarts Capcom, comes Cannon Spike, a game descended from the twin stick shooter style, with Capcom characters in tow, and a lot of personality. Take on terrorist robots with several Capcom alum, including Charlie (SF Alpha), Cammy (SFII series), Mega Man, Red Hood (Darkstalkers), Arthur (Makaimura series), and more. This arcade and Dreamcast classic is a fun game, and will be a fun break from the more traditional shooters we typically play in the Shmup Club, and a proverbial toe dip into the outskirts of the genre, for those who typically join in with the regular community playthrough, but haven't ventured into Shmup Club territory yet. We invite everyone to come join us for this crossover event, and have some fun blasting away at all the robot enemies!

Sign up here to participate:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=19322.0

[FRO]

In 1979, Kaoru Shintani debuted a manga in Japan, known as Area 88. It detailed the exploits and experiences of pilot Shin Kazama, during his time with Area 88, a mercenary military force. The manga ran for 7 years, and spawned a home video movie toward the end of its run, and a single-season anime, nearly 2 decades later. A decade after the manga began, Capcom licensed the property, and created an arcade shooting game that has since become a classic. When that was brought to the West, it was renamed UN Squadron, with the anime tie-in minimized, though keeping the art style and character names. The conversion of the game for the Super Famicom and Super NES is beloved among fans of the genre, and is often heralded as one of the best shooters on the console.

Shin Kazama has a dilemma: he's an amazing pilot, but was duped by a friend to sign up to work for the mercenary military force, Area 88. Shin's no fan of killing fellow human beings, but he's under contract now. He can either suck it up, and do his 3-year tour of duty, or earn $1.5 million and buy out his contract, so he can utilize his skills in an arena where he won't have to take another life unjustly. You can help Shin, along with Mickey Simon, and Greg Gates take on the terrorist organization Project 4, to keep them from taking over the country of Kutal. Take flight, and join the RF Generation Shmup Club, as we explore Area 88, and it's Western counterpart, UN Squadron!

To sign up to participate, click here:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=19348.msg272766#msg272766

[FRO]

We've likely all heard the expression that, "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." In gaming, we see that a lot. A landmark game comes out, gets rave reviews, and then other development studios rush to copy the elements from that game. It's a tried and true formula, and one that has allowed many developers and publishers to continually refine a game genre, while still adhering to the basics. What happens when a developer doesn't blatantly rip off another game, but instead, pays homage to several, while doing something unique, and yet still keeping the essence of what the genre is supposed to be? That's what happened with System Erasure, and their independently developed shmup, Zer0Ranger.

Rather than copying the formula of previous games, instead, it contains a lot of subtle references and Easter Eggs that pay tribute to many classic shooters over the years. It also brings a minimalist graphical style, and a unique look and feel. Take off in your fighter, and face off against the alien menace, ORANGE GREEN! Join the RF Generation Shmup Club in August 2020, as we take on the indie shooting game Zer0Ranger!

Sign up here to participate:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=19364.0

[FRO]

In 1999, Japanese indie developer Siter Skain released the 1st of 3 games, loosely connected in a trilogy, and bound by a storyline revolving around the ALLTYNEX OS, a dangerous A.I. created by mankind that has laid dormant for many years. However, it now threatens to wipe out humanity. It's up to you, piloting the ship KAMUI, to attack and destroy the ALLTYNEX OS, and prevent it from destroying civilization.

Despite being the 3rd and final game in the story canon of the ALLTYNEX TRILOGY of games, Kamui was released first, and draws heavy inspiration from Taito's RayForce. Not only does it resemble Taito's double-layer shooting game, but it uses it's primary mechanic as a major driving element. Join the RF Generation Shmup Club in September 2020, as we dive into PC shmup Kamui! Use your vulcan cannon, lightning weapon, and super beam to take out enemies, and rid the galaxy once and for all, of the ALLTYNEX OS, so humanity can finally have some peace.

KAMUI is available on Steam here.

Sign up here to participate:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=19375.0

[FRO]

In 1987, Taito released Darius in the arcades, and pioneered the shooting game genre's first multi-screen game, setting up a horizontally scrolling shooter that spanned three arcade monitors. Two years later, the sequel, Darius II slimmed down the configuration somewhat, employing only two monitors. These games not only included multiple monitors, but were also very recognizable due to their excellent soundtracks, vibrant graphics, and the iconic aquatic theme of the bosses in the game. They also introduced the idea of branching paths to the shooter landscape, giving the games more replayability, and some degree of variable difficulty. In 1991, Taito shifted the focus from the arcade to the home console, with the release of Darius Twin in 1991, on Nintendo's Super Famicom. Coming just at the end of the launch window for North American consumers, it was an obvious choice for early adopters of the Super Nintendo who were still craving arcade action at home.

A thousand years ago, legendary pilots Proco and Tiat repelled the Belser forces from the planet Darius, bringing peace to their world. In the centuries since, their descendants colonized other planets in the galaxy, including the resource-rich world of Orga. They established a galactic federation, based on this planet, that would govern peaceful colonies across the galaxy. However, the Belser forces decided to expand their empire, and once again set out to conquer the galaxy. The Federation has enlisted its two best pilots to meet the Belser threat head on. Jump in the cockpit of your Silver Hawk, and join the RF Generation Shmup Club as we blast off in October 2020, and play Darius Twin!

Sign up here to participate:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index ... ic=19393.0

[FRO]

Imagine an alternate future, if you will. What if America wasn't where the British colonists landed? What if civilization had already advanced far beyond where we are today, and instead, had already reached the level of space travel, 400 years ago? If so, Jamestown wouldn't have been planted in Virginia, or anywhere on the east coast of what we know as America. Instead, it would have reached beyond the Earth, and started elsewhere. In an alternate past, in 1619, Jamestown was born...on Mars.

In 2011, Final Form Games brought this vision to life, as Jamestown: Legend of the Lost Colony, debuting on PC. Just 4 years later, it was updated with new levels, and new modes, and came to PlayStation 4 as Jamestown+. More recently, Jamestown+ has made its way to Nintendo Switch, and is also available on Steam. A loving homage to CAVE-style danmaku games, with some flavor all its own, and a very different visual approach, with it's "vertizontal" orientation. Join the RF Generation Shmup Club in November 2020, as we play Jamestown+ and discover an alternate timeline!

Sign up here, if you'd like to participate:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=19444.0

[FRO]

Once in a while you need a break from long games. Instead, you want a bite-size experience, to whet your appetite, but not take up too much of your time. One way to scratch that itch is to play a caravan shooter. For the uninitiated, caravan shooters are short experiences, specifically timed, that give you the opportunity to shoot a bunch of enemies, obstacles, or targets, and score as many points as possible in a short time. Caravan scoring competitions began in Japan in the 1980's, particularly with Hudson shooting games, and many shmups since then have included caravan or time attack modes, specifically to give players a more condensed experience, and an opportunity to maximize high score, without having to learn the larger game.

While caravan shooters might not be as popular as they once were, there's still love for them in the scene. A more modern example is the homebrew Sega Master System game, Flight of Pigarus. Developed by Kagesan, and released in 2018, it's a free to download game ROM where you control a flying pig, and shoot everything that moves, and everything that doesn't! The game has both 2 minute, and 5 minute modes, and gives players that short burst of gameplay that sometimes fits the bill. The game is free to download via SMS Power, and is playable via emulators, most Sega Genesis and Master System flash carts, and FPGA devices like the MiSTer. Join the RF Generation Shmup Club in December 2020, as we play Flight of Pigarus!

Keep in mind, the game was designed to run at 50Hz, like classic PAL games, so if you have the ability to set your emulator/console/device to use that, it may be best to do so.

If you'd like to participate, sign up here:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=19455.0

[FRO]

In the annals of shooting game history, there are a handful of games that transcend the normal genre boundaries, and achieve legendary status outside the niche community. Radiant Silvergun is well known for being an expensive Sega Saturn game, as well as for its complex control scheme. Cave shooters are well known for their difficulty, even outside of the core shmup fan base. And a large percentage of the Touhou fandom doesn't even play the STG's, but are only interested in the characters and lore. But few shooting games are as infamous as Raizing's Battle Garegga. Few games have evoked the passion in the community this game has, and few games have revealed themselves to have as many layers of complexity, while remaining approachable. Battle Garegga is still so highly lauded, nearly a quarter century after its original release.

Debuting in arcades in February, 1996, Battle Garegga was helmed by famed shmup programmer Shinobu Yagawa, who had previously cut his teeth on the Famicom, with the impressive shooter Recca. After joining Raizing, he developed Garegga, alongside programmers Yasunari Watanabe and Yūichi Ochiai. The game was well received among shooting game fans, and quickly became a favorite for players. The game's infamous rank system has become legendary in shmup circles, because of how everything you do in the game affects your rank, which in turn, affects the difficulty. Whereas in most games, you don't want to ever lose a life, Garegga often requires you to sacrifice one periodically, in a strategic fashion, to keep the game's rank under control. This is just one of the many layers the game has to offer, which is why it has become a popular title for scoring.

Starting in January 2021, the RF Generation Shmup Club will begin our 2nd annual, year-long scoring competition! January's game of the month will be Battle Garegga, and that will remain the overall scoring competition game for the entire year. All available versions of the game will be viable for scoring, including the arcade original (via PCB, MAME, Retroarch, etc.), the Sega Saturn version, and the more recent port from the M2 ShotTriggers team, Battle Garegga REv.2016. We'll get details together as to the different scoring categories, but competition will be available for multiple iterations and skill levels. Currently, the game is available digitally on both the PlayStation Network and the Microsoft Xbox Live online store for Xbox One. A physical PS4 version was released in Asian regions, and is still available through some online retailers, though the North American release was only available through Limited Run Games, and is sold out, though it can still be purchased on the secondary market. If you're a savvy collector, or feeling expensive, there's always the highly lauded Sega Saturn version. And for those who prefer playing on PC, emulation will be an acceptable means of participation. And of course, if you own or have access to a PCB or cabinet, we'd love to have your input and see some score submissions!

If you'd like to participate, sign up here:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=19456.0

[FRO]

When shooting games started out in the late 1970's, everything was done by small teams, engineering solutions, designing arcade hardware, and coming up with fun game concepts that were easy to pick up and play, but hard to master. As the 1980's shifted from arcades to home consoles and the market diverged, game design teams grew in size, and games became more complex. With the advent of more powerful arcade hardware and consoles in the 1990's, shooting games became even more complicated, with high production values, and involved scoring systems. Fast forward 25 or 30 years, and shooting games have shifted again, back to smaller design teams, and small indie studios, but often retain higher production values due to more readily available tools for small developers to see their visions come to life. That brings us to game developer Lori Branford, and the recently released, indie shoot-em-up, Demonizer, which takes cues from many 90's shooters, but has a decidedly old-school look and feel.

The exiled princess Amelia has turned into a succubus and joined the peaceful monstergirl tribe. Then invaders arrive led by her sister Angelina. Fighting back with her newfound powers of hypnosis and demonization she departs to take on the kingdom in a desperate bid to save her new people. Demonizer is available on Steam, as well as on Itch.io as a DRM-free release, and there are versions for Windows, MacOS, Linux, and even Android. Join the RF Generation Shmup Club in March 2021, as we take on humanity in Demonizer!

If you'd like to participate, you can sign up here: http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=19499.0

Also, apologies, that I completely forgot to post our February game, which is Under Defeat.

[FRO]

The seal that was placed by the gods has finally been broken. Out of the broken seal emerged the Evil Dragon Vritra, feared as the manifestation of the great evil that engulfs heaven and earth.

Vritra's return spawned evil creatures and cast a cloud of despair over the world, bringing it to the brink of total decay.
Sensing the aura of his arch-enemy Vritra, the Hero God Indra clutched the treasure Vajra and headed to Earth.

The countless wars of the gods that have been fought since ancient times is about the begin again.

Join the RF Generation Shmup Club in April 2021, as we take on Vritra Complete Edition for PC! Check out a trailer for the game here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yiRIxq7dsE

If you'd like to participate with us, sign up here:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=19531.0

[FRO]

By now, most of us know that Psikyo was famous for blistering hard shooting games. We've already tackled Strikers 1945 II in the Shmup Club, and that game's legendary difficulty certainly gave us a run for our money. What about the company's roots, however? Are the earlier games any easier? The easy answer is, of course, no. But that's not the whole story.

Psikyo's second shmup was the now-legendary Gunbird. Select one of a ragtag group of characters, to seek out pieces of a magic mirror. Once obtained, they can make a wish. However, their task won't be easy, because The Trump are a group of sky pirates, who are also after the magic mirror pieces! They will try and thwart your every move along your journey.

Gunbird was released in arcades in 1994, and came to the Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation in Japan in 1995. A European PlayStation release followed in 2002, and a rather clumsily localized version reached North America on the PlayStation, rebranded as the budget title Mobile Light Force. The game was added to the North American PlayStation Network in 2009, as well. Most recently, most of the Psikyo shooter catalog has been released on the Nintendo Switch, and also Steam, and is available in the West via NIS America, bundled in the Psikyo Shooting Stars Bravo package. There were also physical Psikyo releases for Nintendo Switch in Japan, and an Asian region release was available through retailers like Play Asia. Join the RF Generation Shmup Club in May 2021, as we tackle Psikyo's second shooter, and our second Psikyo game, Gunbird!

Sign up here to participate: http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=19540.0

[FRO]

As the indie shmup scene continues to grow, more developers have had an opportunity to get their games out there for public consumption. The rise in popularity of the "rogue lite" formula has played a part, as people are seeking experiences that are less static, and a bit more unpredictable. After all, with so many rogue-lite twin stick games, platformers, and action RPGs, why shouldn't the shooting game genre dip a foot in the pool, right? Developer Panda Indie Studio (aka Arabong) has been doing just that, with early titles like Project Starship and Red Death. 2020 brought us the latest take on this formula, Project Starship X.

Project Starship is back with a wacky take on cosmic horror. In this rogue-lite shooter, you’ll take the role of the tentacled-yet-hip Swagthulhu as you CRASH-KILL comical abominations in flashy 16-bit style! With multi-purpose dodge mechanics and tons of crazy pick-ups, you’ll be able to crash your ship straight through the enemy and emerge unscathed. Project Starship X celebrates genre conventions by turning them upside-down! Join the RF Generation Shmup Club in July 2021, as we fire up Project Starship X on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch!

If you'd like to participate with us, check out the forum thread to sign up:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=19565.0

[FRO]

[/img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f8/69/e9 ... 0ab832.jpg[/img]

When you make a successful game, and it's beloved by millions, what do you do next? Make a sequel, of course! That seems to be the formula, and while sequels don't always replicate the commercial success of their predecessor, sometimes they do enough to improve upon the original that they stand alone. Namco had success with Galaxian in 1979, and quickly followed that up with the massive hit Galaga in 1981. Gaplus followed in 1984, and while it wasn't as successful as the previous games, it did do relatively well. In 1987, Namco brought us the 4th entry in the series, the oddly titled Galaga 88.

Galaga 88 continues to iterate on the fixed shooter formula by adding new elements, and also...by not staying fixed! This time around, there are some scrolling levels, and boss fights, as well as new upgrades, the ability to warp past levels, and more. The game received a PC Engine port in 1988, and in 1990, was rebranded as Galaga '90 for the TurboGrafx-16 release. It has been included on several Namco compilations, such as Namco Museum 50th Anniversary (PS2, GameCube, Xbox, PC), Namco Museum Virtual Arcade (Xbox 360), and Namco Museum Switch. The TurboGrafx version is also included on the TurboGrafx Mini console. Join the RF Generation Shmup Club in August 2021, as we play Galaga 88!

Sign up here to participate:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=19577.0

[Sengoku Strider]

I must keep missing this thread being bumped, I would have totally got in on Gunbird. I’m definitely up for Galaga ‘88 though. The original is quite possibly my favourite game of the golden age, and I was pleasantly surprised by what I played of ‘88 on Switch Namco Museum.

[FRO]

I must keep missing this thread being bumped, I would have totally got in on Gunbird. I’m definitely up for Galaga ‘88 though. The original is quite possibly my favourite game of the golden age, and I was pleasantly surprised by what I played of ‘88 on Switch Namco Museum.

Very nice! Always happy to have new participants on board. And yeah, sometimes I think because this forum is actually busy, my monthly bump doesn't stay on the front page very long. I'm excited to compare the arcade version to the TurboGrafx/PC Engine release, and see how much of the game they were able to cram into the Game Gear with Galaga '91.

[Johnpv]

Galaga became my game for awhile. My friends were hanging out at a local bar a lot that was terrible, but it had an anniversary Galaga machine, that I spent a lot of time on. if I can find some free time this month I'm going to play some of this!

[Gamer707b]

I've been out of the loop for a bit, but it's nice you're still doing this FRO. I'll be participating in your next game, as long as I have it. BTW, have you done Crimson Clover, Esprade and ProGear?

[FRO]

Galaga became my game for awhile. My friends were hanging out at a local bar a lot that was terrible, but it had an anniversary Galaga machine, that I spent a lot of time on. if I can find some free time this month I'm going to play some of this!

Excellent! Curious to hear your thoughts on Galaga '88 in comparison. I've played the original Galaga a ton over the years, but haven't spent much time with this one.

I've been out of the loop for a bit, but it's nice you're still doing this FRO. I'll be participating in your next game, as long as I have it. BTW, have you done Crimson Clover, Esprade and ProGear?

We covered Crimzon Clover fairly early on, playing the game through March 2019, and then podcasting about it for our April episode, which is still available to download/stream. ESP Ra.De and Progear we haven't covered yet. Now that Capcom Arcade Stadium is available, the latter is more accessible, and of course M2's port of the former we definitely want to get into at some point. Not sure when we'll look at either in detail, but they'll definitely make an appearance at some point

[FRO]

In the 90's, as arcades were in a general decline, many games that originated in that setting began to move to home consoles, as a way to continue to proliferate. When you have a recognized property that sells well enough based on the name, it makes sense to continue that, right? While home consoles can't always match the power of the arcade hardware, they can offer a way to get that experience in front of a lot of people, and give developers a chance to change things up. Irem gave developer Tamtex that opportunity, when the venerable R-Type series moved from the smoky arcades to the living room, with the arrival of R-Type III: The Third Lightning on the Super Famicom and Super NES.

The dark forces of the BYDO Empire threaten humanity yet again, with more powerful weapons than ever. Over the past few years, they have crept close to Earth, building hidden bases for their fleets. The Earth Science Center had believed that all of the BYDO Empire was destroyed. Now they know that somewhere a BYDO mother ship carries the remnants of that foul civilization. Earth will be overthrown unless the latest R-series vessel, the R-90, can defeat BYDO's armies. Equipped with the mighty Round, Shadow, or Cyclone Forces of power, the R-90 can warp into different dimensions and meet the enemy ships and ground troops on an equal basis. As the Captain of the R-90, you must seek out the mysterious mother ship and destroy it to save humanity.

R-Type III initially saw release on the Super Famicom, and made its way to the west on the Super NES in 1993. A Game Boy Advance version followed 2004. Because it has long been a sought after and expensive game, Retro-Bit licensed the game for re-release (alongside its SNES counterpart Super R-Type), and released R-Type Returns in a single cartridge, which allows you to choose between the 2 games. Join the RF Generation Shmup Club in November 2021 as we take off and strike the evil Bydo empire in R-Type III!

Join us here to participate:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=19618.0

[FRO]

In the mid to late 1980's, Konami was on a hot streak, having found much success with arcade games such as Gradius, Contra, and other games. And their Famicom/NES conversions were equally lauded, often taking the original games and changing up the formula a bit to better suit the home market, often resulting in what some consider definitive versions of the games. One of the games they didn't take too many liberties with, however, was the arcade shooter Top Gunner. For those who are more familiar with the NES library, than lesser known Konami arcade games, you may know this game as Jackal. Released in the arcade in 1986, and followed up on the Famicom Disk System (as Akai Yousai: Final Commando) and NES in 1988 as Jackal, this is a Konami classic that might not be quite as well known as some of their other 80's output, but it's no less relevant.

You take command of a unit of elite soldiers, on a mission to rescue POWs behind enemy lines. You take the fight to hostile territory, with only your wits, and your heavily equipped military Jeep. As you rescue some POWs, they can help outfit you with better weaponry, to give you a better tactical advantage. But the fight won't be easy, as you'll encounter soldiers on foot, turrets and cannon emplacements, tanks, and other enemy forces, all vying for your destruction. Join the RF Generation Shmup Club as we play something a bit more shmup-adjacent for December. Whether you play the arcade original Top Gunner, the Famicom release Akai Yousai: Final Commando, or the NES release of Jackal, you're sure to have a good time!

Sign up here to participate:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=19626.0

[Sengoku Strider]

Gah, I'd love to get in on Jackal, but weirdly it seems to have never been reissued. Not on any collection, not on Virtual Console (how?). I don't Xbox, Wikipedia says it was on XBLA at some point? Weird that Konami sat on a treasure like this while putting stuff like Bayou Billy on Wii U VC.

[FRO]

Gah, I'd love to get in on Jackal, but weirdly it seems to have never been reissued. Not on any collection, not on Virtual Console (how?). I don't Xbox, Wikipedia says it was on XBLA at some point? Weird that Konami sat on a treasure like this while putting stuff like Bayou Billy on Wii U VC.

Yeah, it does seem odd that Konami kind of forgot about this game. It's such a good title. And even with Arcade Archives, Top Gunner still hasn't seen a release. It's been in MAME for a long time, and has recently come to the MiSTer, so that helps, but it really should get an official release, and it's a shame that it hasn't happened. It would have made a good addition to the "Arcade Classics Collection" that came out a while back.

[FRO]

The last couple years, the Shmup Club has chosen a high profile game as our January title, and it would serve as both the introduction for the year, as well as a scoring competition throughout the year. However, we haven't had great participation beyond January with those, and in particular, keeping up the leaderboard throughout the year proved to be something I couldn't keep up with successfully. So instead of doing that, we're trying something new. We'll still have a high profile game we want to cover, but instead, it will be called the "Focus Shot" game. Each month, we hope to have people playing the game alongside the regular monthly selection, but with a focus on learning the game more specifically, and not just going for a 1CC, but also in more completely exploring all the game has to offer, whether that is more modes, scoring techniques, other ships/characters, or other secrets and content. For the podcast, we'll talk about the "Focus Shot" game each month in a short segment, and then we'll have a special episode at the end of the year to wrap up discussion about the game, and cover it in greater detail, like we do for each regular monthly game. We hope this approach will encourage greater participation throughout the year, and give us a lot more ability to really go in-depth with a game.

With that in mind, we're covering the Cave classic Mushihimesama as our 2022 "Focus Shot" game. With its recent digital release on the Nintendo Switch, and forthcoming physical pressing from Limited Run Games, in addition to the long available Steam release, Mushihimesama has quickly become much more well-known over the last year than it has been for some time, particularly outside the shmup fan base. This "bullet hell" style shoot-em-up takes ideas Cave had implemented in previous games and refines them, as well as paring down the game play experience a bit to a tighter approach, eschewing the 2-loop system many previous games had, and sticking to a really well designed, core set of stages that scale in difficulty in a way that allows players to scale with it as they learn. Mushihimesama also sees Cave exploring new territory at the time, shifting focus from military-style shooters to the much more colorful and vibrant world of insects and nature scenes. Beyond the original arcade version, there have been other iterations on the formula, with the later 1.5 version, which changes enough to make it a different experience, as well as the Arrange mode, and of course, multiple difficulty levels for each mode that further add replayability. And there's also a Novice mode to help bring players into the world who might be less familiar with this style of shooting game, and help players learn some fundamentals. Join the RF Generation Shmup Club during 2022 as we play Mushihimesama throughout the year!

Sign up here to participate:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=19632.0

[FRO]

Historically, there has been some crossover between platforming games and shoot-em-ups, particularly in the 8 & 16-bit eras, when there were a number of multi-genre games, as developers began to experiment somewhat, and stretch themselves. Sometimes it was a shmup level or two in a platformer, like Xexyz on the NES, or Batman on the Game Boy, or more integrated into the game, such as in The Guardian Legend. What was less common was when a game from one genre had a sequel or related game in the other genre. It's not unprecedented, but certainly uncommon. Air Zonk is one such example, with the previous "Bonk" games being of the platforming style, and Air Zonk being a related character, but switching things up to be a shooter instead.

On April 4, 2999, the evil scientist Count King Tamago Sandrovich performed a remodeling operation on Genhead in order to act as a trump card for the ZZ project (Earth Evil Deterioration Plan), modeling him after the strongest rival Bonk who afflicted his ancestor King Drool. Thus, he was named Zonk. Recognizing the Count's ZZ plan, Zonk escapes from the laboratory, forms a family of electricians (Punkic Cyborgs) with his friends, and confronts the count's cyber robot army. Join the RF Generation Community in January 2022, as we play Air Zonk!

Sign up here to participate:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=19633.0

[FRO]

Konami knew they had a hit on their hands with Gradius. But rather than rest on their laurels and pump out a sequel that was just more of the same, they decided to shake up the formula somewhat. They took the basis they built with the initial game, and made 3 key changes. First, they split the game up between both horizontal and vertically scrolling stages, to change up the game play. Second, they simplified the upgrade system from the power-up bar to specific upgrades dropped by enemy squads or orange colored enemies. And third, the game added the ability for a second player to join in for coop action. The game was different enough that rather than including it as an official game in the Gradius series, Konami instead opted to make it more of a parallel game, and title it Salamander. However, when the game was localized in Western regions, it was changed somewhat, and instead called Life Force.

Latis was a planet covered by water with a beautiful sparkle. There, a prophecy of fire has been passed down since a long time ago: Thousands of light years away, when a giant dragon born and living in a sea of flames wakes up, a crazy force will approach, swallowing heaven and earth in the darkness and eventually breaking the light. Here in planet Latis, the Bacterion cluster continues to spread, beginning its invasion with the Salamander Army. The Latis Army, however, didn't have any way of fighting against Salamander. The prince of Latis threw himself at battle with the Space-Time Fighter Lord British, named after himself, and requested help from the planet Gradius, which was said to have faced and defeated the cluster's forces before. The Gradius Army receives British's distress call. Extending their support, they fly to the Salamander Army's mother star. Super Space-Time Fighter Vic Viper, launch!! Join the RF Generation Shmup Club in March 2022 as we take on Konami's Salamander and Life Force!

If you'd like to participate, follow the podcast account on Twitter and tweet at us there, or click the link below to post directly in the thread for the games:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=19644.0

[Sengoku Strider]

I don't know that I have time ATM to participate, but I might try. I discovered PC Engine Salamander last year. I have the Hamster ACA release with Salamander/Life Force/Life Force JP and I tried to get into it, but it didn't click. So for me the NES version had always been the definitive one since back in the day. But the PCE version is just joyful, recommended for anyone with access to it.

[FRO]

I don't know that I have time ATM to participate, but I might try. I discovered PC Engine Salamander last year. I have the Hamster ACA release with Salamander/Life Force/Life Force JP and I tried to get into it, but it didn't click. So for me the NES version had always been the definitive one since back in the day. But the PCE version is just joyful, recommended for anyone with access to it.

I've heard a lot of good things about the PCE version. I haven't messed with it much, other than playing a little on the TurboGrafx Mini after I bought it. But I will be exploring that version a bit through the month. Right now I'm concentrating on the Salamander Deluxe Pack on Saturn, and will be playing Life Force NES and the ACA version to make sure I can get a taste of all the major iterations. Right now I've been able to reach stage 5 in the arcade version.