Cosmo Machia acquires Triggerheart Exelica (UPDATE 2024-25: TH ENHANCED)

[Jonpachi]

This port is solid on Switch, but the lack of any Practice/Save States is quite a shame, and really unforgivable at this point. I have always liked this game, but it's a taxing experience to constantly grapple/toss enemies, and the slog through the slow early training stages makes it tough to practice. I dread replaying some of the more puzzley set-ups where it suddenly wants to be Ikaruga.

[To Far Away Times]

$30 for this game now is rich considering it was $10 on release date for Xbox 360 back in 2008. And excluding a very niche 2007 Dreamcast release, the Xbox 360 version was most people's first exposure to the game as well.

Conveniently, the backwards compatible Xbox 360 version was delisted last year to make way for the price tripling.

Tis a shame, since Triggerheart is a solid shmup, but I hate to see business practices like this.

[Sima Tuna]

No practice modes, no buy. I expect autofire and practice modes as the bare minimum for any modern shmup release. $30 is on the higher end for digital shmup releases too.

[cfx]

.

[NeoStrayCat]

Yeah, Steven, seems the Steam Deck and Linux Proton from what I've read/heard here and in the steam forum for this game has problems getting it to run proper on 60FPS. Its getting up to 45 FPS. Also, Cosmo Machia did get back to one user about the issue...

Regarding the issue you pointed out, we at SteamDeck also requested technical support from Valve due to similar issues such as frame rate drops on SteamOS during development, but there was no response before the release.
There is no verification approval from Valve for the compatibility program, and the store display only supports operation on Windows OS.

This software uses VulkanAPI for 3D drawing, and DirectX is only used around the controller. There is no technical support from Khronos Group, and there is no driver support from AMD, so developers are having trouble finding a solution.

We will continue to investigate, but currently we have not found a solution, so if you would like a refund, please apply to Valve on the website.

Hopefully they fix that eventually for Linux Proton and Steam Deck users. (There is also color issues people are seeing on the PC/Steam version and its affecting users with AMD graphic cards. That should also get looked into by Cosmo Machia.)

And while I get that $30 is a bit steep, considering the X360/XBLA (BC) version, back then when it was still available before delisting, was $10, Cosmo Machia is in the market to make a profit, I get that, but it'll tick some people off, even those that got the X360 version in the past too. And IMO, the X360 version (with the PS2 version a close second) is better for me, cause I can score higher for some reason than the other ports. The current gen version has the scoring based on the Naomi Arcade and Sega Dreamcast version.

Also, the game does have Training/Practice mode options, but you would have to press a couple of buttons to get there. Its not immediately there on the main menu in the current gen port when the previous versions has them straight from their main menu themselves. You'd have to go to "Mode Select" then go to "Training Mode", then choose your options (fairly limited ones at that, just the basic ones and no options to start at specific points of the stage or even at the boss.)

Either way, just got both the PC/Steam and Switch versions now. PC/Steam version works just fine on my laptop, while the Switch version, a decent port (the Switch Lite is not a good control method under default controls, I can tell you that.), it has some slowdowns at certain points in stages 4 and 5, though it could either be a blessing, or a curse, depending on how you look at it. But otherwise, fairly identical to the PC/Steam version and works just fine.

[Jonpachi]

I will never use a pracitce mode, because for me there's no quicker way to ruin a game where I will never ever want to touch it again. Playing the same part of a game over and over and over is work, not fun.

I fully agree that playing the same part over and over isn't fun, which is why Practice Modes are such a blessing. I personally tend to pop between full runs and practice, where I'll play a credit through and then jump into Practice to have another shot at the levels I was just having problems with. This way, to your point, I don't have to play the same part over and over by slogging back through levels 1, 2, 3, etc to get the point I want to try again. I can just hop in there, and have the content at my fingertips.

I guarantee you the old arcade masters of yore would have played with save states and practice modes if they could. It's just a helpful tool.

[To Far Away Times]

I have to have practice modes unless the game is fairly easy.

Honestly, Practice and Replays should really be the standard now.

[mojilove]

https://www.konami.com/games/event/tgs/lineup.html#1.5

Looks like they're gonna make Faintear playable after all! A build with playable Faintear will be showcased at TGS 2024 in a few weeks.
I wonder how they plan to release it (DLC? free update? separate release entirely?)

[Sturmvogel Prime]

I guess they've managed to acquire the rights of Ayane's song to do this one.

[Steven]

This looks like it might be a separate release, and judging by the greyed-out Makuake thing on its website, it might be crowdfunded again.

[mojilove]

This looks like it might be a separate release, and judging by the greyed-out Makuake thing on its website, it might be crowdfunded again.

oh yeah, you're right - I didn't see that it has its own website that suggests it could very well be a separate release: https://exelica-enhanced.cosmomachia.co.jp/
are they really cocky enough to do another round of crowdfunding as well? perhaps
i'm fine playing the steam release I already have anyway (i didn't really get into it when playing the demo on 360 but i've finally warmed up to it. manual swing is fun)

[Jucksalbe]

I wonder if the European physical release by Red Art Games will include the new content. It has just recently been delayed to 2025.

[EmperorIng]

>crowdfund a port of the dreamcast version
>turn around and announce a separate release of the ps2 version for full price


This fucking genre man.
If nothing else, it sounds like I dodged a bullet with the barebones port they shat out a few months back.

[NeoStrayCat]

Well, it seems to be that Enchaned is more of a separate release, than just DLC. Kinda happy they even got the rights and ways to releasing it, but yeah, considering this is releasing next year, and the western physical release has yet to arrive (earlier in the US, and later in the EU), this might be a low blow to players who were even waiting on getting it.

I wonder if the European physical release by Red Art Games will include the new content. It has just recently been delayed to 2025.

Probably not, it'll still most likely include the original game, and not the Enhanced version that recently just got announced, not sure why its delayed to next year for EU (according to Red Art Games' online store for a expected date of 3/31/25, that's if the date for that is final), when the US release is still on track for 11/8/24.

And as for the possibility of crowdfunding...again? Does it really need it? I mean, they already announced it with a official site and everything. I mean, yeah, the official site has a "supporter" page for those that'll back this version (unless they may or may not use the same backers that backed the original). Like, c'mon...

>crowdfund a port of the dreamcast version
>turn around and announce a separate release of the ps2 version for full price

This fucking genre man.
If nothing else, it sounds like I dodged a bullet with the barebones port they shat out a few months back.

Yeah, I hear ya, Exelica can't catch a break lately here and there. Also, its not barebones, as you say (though techincally after playing the original modern release, well, lol), but man...First Shiki 3 gets funded, then this, lol.

Yeah, this genre man...

[TransatlanticFoe]

Red Art Games was hit by a cyber attack recently so that may have put them on the backfoot. Or it may be that they were always planning to release it with the PS2 content and that got delayed, so the previous Faintear references weren't a mistake. Sucks if it's a second full price release in Japan though, basically like buying the DC and PS2 versions - so it's the authentic retail experience too

Play Asia has both EU and US down for 8th November release, and both down as from Red Art Games - so seems likely both are pushed back to Q2 2025, unless there's specifically been a delay with translating it for European languages.

[NeoStrayCat]

Red Art Games was hit by a cyber attack recently so that may have put them on the backfoot. Or it may be that they were always planning to release it with the PS2 content and that got delayed, so the previous Faintear references weren't a mistake. Sucks if it's a second full price release in Japan though, basically like buying the DC and PS2 versions - so it's the authentic retail experience too

Play Asia has both EU and US down for 8th November release, and both down as from Red Art Games - so seems likely both are pushed back to Q2 2025, unless there's specifically been a delay with translating it for European languages.

If Red Art Games were hit by a cyber attack or w/e, they would have either 1. Mention it on socials (which I don't see anywhere) and/or 2. Mention it on a e-mail newsletter for those that subscribe to. And I really doubt them delaying the EU version is because of what you mentioned. Expect them to more be separate releases than most, similar to both the original and Enhanced versions.

Would have really liked it if they did a 2 in 1 release either similar to DeathSmiles I/II to have both games in a menu selection, or for certain Switch games, have both games on the cart, but two separate applications. But I don't see that happening, unless otherwise down the line. As for the Euro languages, they're are already on the PC/Steam version (not in game, but only through the "properties" tab to change "Language"), so it woudn't be that hard to already put them in those overseas physical releases.

[TransatlanticFoe]

I mean you can Google it, I'm not making it up and they were transparent about it on their social media

[NeoStrayCat]

I mean you can Google it, I'm not making it up and they were transparent about it on their social media

Google's it...OK, I believe you!

But yeah, looked into what happened...Man, that's rough.

[Steven]

I have no idea what to think of this. I hate DLC for various reasons that I'm too lazy to explain, so part of me is glad that there might be a physical release of a complete game for once. If it's digital-only it doesn't matter, but yeah.

A different part of me hopes that they don't release this separately, and if they do, hopefully it is at a lower price as than the last one (which won't happen, but it would be nice). Does it really need to be separate? The answer is corporate greed exists, so, according to that, yes, it needs to be separate and preferably more expensive than the old, incomplete, now potentially inferior one.

No matter what happens, I am

• going to laugh sadly if that Makuake thingy on the website eventually gets turned into a thing to click on to go to yet another crowdfunding thing. Do these guys REALLY not have any money at all? It sure seems like it

• disappointed that I bought the previous one now that there is another version that is potentially just better than the one they just released a few months ago. Why didn't they just do this one from the start?

I don't sell games, but I might as well sell the old one and get this new one if it's simply a better version.

[Sturmvogel Prime]

Cosmo Machia's Makuake site's up
https://www.makuake.com/project/cosmoma ... l/1537964/
https://www.makuake.com/project/cosmomachia_02/

[Steven]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

This is apparently for making the OP high rez and adding Faintear. If they are showing a playable build at Tokyo Game Show that presumably already has playable Faintear, why the hell do they need crowdfunding to add her to the game if she's already implemented?

[NeoStrayCat]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

This is apparently for making the OP high rez and adding Faintear. If they are showing a playable build at Tokyo Game Show that presumably already has playable Faintear, why the hell do they need crowdfunding to add her to the game if she's already implemented?

I dunno, your guess is as good as mine. If they're already annoucing it to be released on Switch next year, I dunno what else they need the funds for. The campaign starts at 9/26/24 at 2 PM JST. So we'll find out why. That, and also, there's going to be showcasing the game at TGS 2024 on around the same time when the campaign starts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeQuiqU8KZ0

[dai jou bu]

This fucking genre man.

Happens all the time:
https://www.amazon.com/Doinksoft-Collec ... B0D463819P

I'm still kinda peeved that one of the recent production runs of Mario Kart 8 for the switch in Japan can download all of the DLC tracks for free since the season pass is built into the cart or the Switch version of Guilty Gear Strive going to get 3 season passes built into it when it launches next year, but that's already getting off tangent.

[Sturmvogel Prime]

https://www.makuake.com/project/cosmomachia_02/
Crowdfunding project's up. Currently is at 27% (800,000 yen of 3,000,000) and 44 days left.

Looks like they're also planning

• Digital card

• soundtrack called "Re:Sound Anchor Vol.2"

• Visual fanbook with apparently contents from the 2007's Archive Anchor mixed with Enhanced stuff (Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm bad at reading kanji).

[NeoStrayCat]

Crowdfunding project's up. Currently is at 27% (800,000 yen of 3,000,000) and 44 days left.

Well, as of post, it is rising at 1.2M Yen (41%), so yeah, they need (another) 3M Yen just to port Enhanced, but that doesn't make any sense when they announced it. Sheesh, it does feel like Cosmo Machia's broke and can't use any internal funds to get projects done these days. (Outside the ones they already done internally previously. Like Fantavision 202X.)

As for the crowdfunding campaign, besides the stuff S.P. mentioned, they did mention how Enhanced happened (also in the presentation too, I think), that they met with a former Alchemist (company that handled the PS2 version) representative on socials and wanted to support the revival, so the representative had "resources and material" (which I assume is source code or similar) along with the "master data". And then they go into detail on how to reconstruct the PS2 version for the modern (Switch) port. (Since the PS2 version back then was lower quality graphically than the X360 version, both in-gameplay, and assets wise.) This also affects the change to Faintear's laser shot.

However, the only changes so far that I've seen after testing the PS2 version and looking into the modern (Switch) port (outside the updated visuals) is that Faintear's shot has changed to steady laser shots from the PS2 version to continuous laser shot. Not saying that's a nerf or anything, but considering something to the effect..."As expected, the program source and original data did not exist." (Which is a big oof, I'd say), which they brought up "The company's former CTO, Motodo, and former development director, hiruned, met and decided to reprogram the program part, including the model data and motion data. Therefore, the original cheat-like laser performance of Faintear has been changed."

Which is understandable. Some things had to get touched up to get this port running, I suppose. That, and make them higher quality than the PS2 version. They then got in contact with the rights holders for the rest of the other things, including getting the OP animation/BGM too. (With Ayane performing from a live audience too down at the TGS stage.)

Either way, while it seems there's no stretch goals being planned currently, the FAQ mentions...
-That the port will be basically similar to the previous port (graphics and mode wise), but with the included PS2 content too.
-A Steam port would be planned at some point, but adding in multi-language support will take a while for such a port to get made.
-As for ports outside Switch and Steam, they can't do it themselves, and that they need a publisher (even though they already got Red Art Games to bring out the overseas physical releases of the original which have yet to come out, they could just ask them again).
-Making any more figures similarly based on the LE version (like the Exelica Nendoroid), which they cannot, as the previous prototypes were destroyed and cannot be made again. However, they can look for a new licensee with an emphasis on quality. (I mean, it woudn't hurt just to ask GoodSmile to make the molds again.)
-And as for a possibility of a sequel, they are rethinking plans/specifications for that right now. (Nothing confirmed so far. But who knows in the future?)

The game is expected to be released sometime Late January of 2025 in JP, with backers getting 1 week early access digitally before the official release date of the Switch port. (I'd assume us overseas fans will have to wait on a translation later. As the JP Switch version on Enhanced, like the previous port, only supports JP text.)

[TransatlanticFoe]

European release is slated for 31st March according to Amazon

[Sturmvogel Prime]

Crowdfunding is now at 101% just 29 days before the deadline ended.

That's right ladies and gentlemen, Triggerheart Exelica Enhanced is now in the bag.

[NeoStrayCat]

European release is slated for 31st March according to Amazon

It says that too at the Red Art games' store. Also mentioned at VGP, however, it mentions (Placeholder). But looking at it at various EU amazon sites, its listed for release on 3/27/25. Funny enough still, the one at Amazon US still lists 11/8/24. (Doubtful that'll actually happen.)

Crowdfunding is now at 101% just 29 days before the deadline ended.

That's right ladies and gentlemen, Triggerheart Exelica Enhanced is now in the bag.

It was already in the bag to begin with, considering they announced it ahead of time before the crowdfunding. (Even though it really didn't need to, but I guess it would have still taken more time probably if it didn't get funded.) But yeah, considering I've already mentioned before that Cosmo Machia barely has funds themselves to get projects off the ground without the need of crowdfunding...oh well...

Either way, at least it'll be something to look into when it eventually comes out.

[Sturmvogel Prime]

Stretch Goals announced
https://wikiheartexelica.fandom.com/wik ... h_Goal.png

[Steven]

Wallpaper for your PC and/or phone is the most disappointing stretch goal I have ever seen. Raise 5,000,000 yen and get... a fucking picture. That better be a really damn good picture. It's probably not even going to be a lossless picture and will be a damn .jpeg instead.

There is probably no way that the goal for what actually matters, the PC version, will be met, but maybe they'll do it anyway like last time. Can we swap the stretch goals and have the PC version be 5,000,000 yen and the wallpaper be 8,000,000 instead?