Awesome stuff you've just bought (+pics please)

[soprano1]

Oh, the JP cover of Deadly Silence looks great. At the time of release, it wasn't a half-bad port (until the PSP got the PSOne Classics version of Director's Cut).

[Shoryukev]

I don't think I could keep that SFZ3 copy sealed if my life was dependant on it. I could never decide between #2 & 3, but both are such fantastic ports .

Spoiler

2 has better presentation IMO and maybe slightly better gameplay (seems to be heralded by tournament players more), but 3 has so much crap added in. I really wish someone would make a modded ISO of #3 with all the max-upper-whatever stuff added in from the PSP version.
I know there's a Dreamcast version with some of the stuff added in, but the Saturn version is better.

[soprano1]

I own the PSOne port of A3/Z3 myself, lot's of content.

[Tarma]

I don't think I could keep that SFZ3 copy sealed if my life was dependant on it. I could never decide between #2 & 3, but both are such fantastic ports .

Spoiler

2 has better presentation IMO and maybe slightly better gameplay (seems to be heralded by tournament players more), but 3 has so much crap added in. I really wish someone would make a modded ISO of #3 with all the max-upper-whatever stuff added in from the PSP version.
I know there's a Dreamcast version with some of the stuff added in, but the Saturn version is better.

Oh don't worry, it's not gonna be a shelf warmer in this house!

[Skykid]

It's the "added crap" that messes up the balance in 3, which is why tournament players rate 2 as superior (which it is). If you're not a FG aficionado and just like to have a casual go now and then, 3's good fun. Losing the Alpha counter was suicide tho.

[TransatlanticFoe]

World Tour was a great single player mode (for those of us who only have friends that really suck), at least until a bullshit fight vs. two Shin M.Bisons with permanent full X-ISM gauges. That was the DC version though, apparently it was different on the PSX/Saturn?

[soprano1]

It's the "added crap" that messes up the balance in 3, which is why tournament players rate 2 as superior (which it is). If you're not a FG aficionado and just like to have a casual go now and then, 3's good fun. Losing the Alpha counter was suicide tho.

I can't speak about the fighting scene, as i'm at best a casual player (of FG).
A/Z1 and 2 have MUCH better music, though. It's like Marvel VS Capcom 2...

[pestro87]

With regards to A2 vs. A3, what kills it for me in A3 is the custom combo juggles that you can do with V-ism. I'm personally not a fan of that. Skip to 14:53 for some juggles for example:

https://youtu.be/smdIeF436p8?t=14m53s

[FinalBaton]

Also avoid playing A3 online because of the V-ISM juggles. Some players wwho master this will be able to kill you in 1 chain, lol

I also prefer that in A2, you don't "pick" a style(such as the "-ISM). That way, your oponent doesn't know what to expect! Will you use custom combos? or Supers? or both? It's a surprise

Also : having a separate throw button all of a suden(looking at you A3) is dumb >_<



I still love A3 tho, it was my first exposure to the series (the PS1 port) and I still play the arcade mode or versus mode with friends every now and then. But I prefer A2.

[Tarma]

You guys are getting way too technical for me! lol

I'm just a casual player, but Z3 is one of my favourite brawlers, and I've enjoyed the other entries in the Zero series, the character roster is really good in 3 imo as well.

I've had the PSX port since its release, but I've had my eye on the Saturn version for a while.

[Shoryukev]

Agreed that all the extra stuff in A3 ruined the balance of things. I also really enjoy the music and overall presentation of the first two a lot better. Ugh I hate those juggles!!!!! Reminds me of playing Capcom vs SNK 2 in the arcades, there was always someone doing that shit endlessly. I'm a big fan of the Alpha/Zero series, being a young lad when it came out and seeing my boy Ken with long hair made me want to grow mine out lol. I have A1 & A2 gold on the PSX, but haven't touched them in a long time. The saturn ports are about as arcade perfect as you're going to get (runs better than playing the ROM in mame on my setup )

[iconoclast]

It's the "added crap" that messes up the balance in 3, which is why tournament players rate 2 as superior (which it is). If you're not a FG aficionado and just like to have a casual go now and then, 3's good fun. Losing the Alpha counter was suicide tho.

I dunno about that. There were national Alpha 3 tournaments in Japan until 2011, and you can still find high level play at a-cho. I never see anything about Alpha 2. Plus Alpha 3 is/was Daigo's favorite game, while he thinks Alpha 2 is for kids.

I like A2 more myself, but as far as I can tell, A3 had way more longevity with serious players.

[Shoryukev]

You guys are making me want to try and find a CPS2 board now I've been wanting to get into PCB collecting for years.

[FinalBaton]

I dunno about that. There were national Alpha 3 tournaments in Japan until 2011, and you can still find high level play at a-cho. I never see anything about Alpha 2. Plus Alpha 3 is/was Daigo's favorite game, while he thinks Alpha 2 is for kids.

I like A2 more myself, but as far as I can tell, A3 had way more longevity with serious players.

Intersting stuff to learn. I'm not surprised at Daigo's love of Z3 though, since he's a counter/parry phenom and can pull those off pretty much whenever he wants

You guys are making me want to try and find a CPS2 board now I've been wanting to get into PCB collecting for years.

I'm not looking in getting into PCBs at the moment, but one thing that could tip the balance is a SSF2T or SF Alpha board. Gat dayum I would love one of those... or an arcade cabinet altogether

[Skykid]

It's the "added crap" that messes up the balance in 3, which is why tournament players rate 2 as superior (which it is). If you're not a FG aficionado and just like to have a casual go now and then, 3's good fun. Losing the Alpha counter was suicide tho.

I dunno about that. There were national Alpha 3 tournaments in Japan until 2011, and you can still find high level play at a-cho. I never see anything about Alpha 2.

That's never the way I've understood it. At all the major FG events in the UK Z3 was nowhere to be seen - I think it's considered broken because of the custom combo business. Z2 was the only entry in the series that had any attention and was a permanent fixture for years.

I have no idea why any serious FG players would favor it when it's so exploitable.

[BrianC]

I'm glad I have that Alpha collection for PS2. It's good stuff.

[FinalBaton]

I'm glad I have that Alpha collection for PS2. It's good stuff.

It's great indeed. Especially in 240p on a CRT
I could never part with that one!

[Limbrooke]

With regards to A2 vs. A3, what kills it for me in A3 is the custom combo juggles that you can do with V-ism. I'm personally not a fan of that. Skip to 14:53 for some juggles for example:

https://youtu.be/smdIeF436p8?t=14m53s

I'm not the one to speak about V-ism but at least you can counter it with V-ism at times. It does detract but omitting infinite aspect Zero 3 is a superb entry. I enjoy Zero 2 but really Zero 2 Alpha (Alpha 2 Gold) is the version to pick thanks to tweaks. Zero 3 has a terrific roster and lots of techniques and for that I feel gives it far greater appeal and longevity over Zero 2. Saturn is superb but its overshadowed by the AA/Fighters Generation on PS2, especially given the price point now. World Tour while great isn't where my meat any potatoes lie anyway.
http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=48371 <-- more Z3 discussion
Nice pick up all the same even if the standalone version (non 4mb boxed release) is the better version (ie, full cover art).

[FinalBaton]

Yes Alpha Gold is also my fave iteration of A2

[Strider77]

That's never the way I've understood it. At all the major FG events in the UK Z3 was nowhere to be seen - I think it's considered broken because of the custom combo business. Z2 was the only entry in the series that had any attention and was a permanent fixture for years.

As far as I've seen in the States Zero 3 seems to be the more popular. It's still split though.....

A friend owns a local arcade and often holds tournaments. For smaller side games he hold polls for what the locals want added. The Alpha series often doesn't make it at all because Zero 2 and 3 are BOTH options to vote for. But it's split so it doesn't make it; although if they decided on one or the other it would be the most popular side game.

All the events I've been to seem to show Zero 3 is the more popular though over here.

[Ex_Mosquito]

Over ST? Surely not..

[trap15]

Pretty sure he means Z3 over Z2.

[BIL]

Warning! Pocket dungeon hazard:



Hell yeah I rove this. ^o^ ta M.Knight, kitten and Damocles for the suggestion!

[WelshMegalodon]

Somehow it completely slipped my mind that Cave Noire was a Konami title. Will have to play soon...

[BIL]

Highly recommended! I'm nowhere as familiar with roguelikes/dungeon crawlers as other genres, but I know arcadey immediacy and tension, and perfectly-paced loot-grabbing gratification. Just finished an extermination mission and declined the evac to explore the lower depths (aka LOOT THE JOINT) - ended up fleeing a giant spider who wasn't pleased about me robbing his fancy sword, was only saved by a crumbling floor foiling my would-be slayer. Very cool little game.

Surprisingly cookin' BGM too, worthy of any Castlevania or Gradius - I dig the shift to more menacing tones as the lower floors' darkness encroaches. Great sparingly cute aesthetic as well, perfectly leveraging the GB display and offsetting the inherently murky dungeoneering business.

[Necronopticous]

Wow, how have I never heard of this game? This looks right up my alley. I will definitely seek this out.

[Immryr]

yep cave noire is great. it starts getting pretty tough once you get to level 5-6 on each quest.

in fact, level 6 quests are really hard. i just ALMOST did the gold one. i had found enough gold but only had 5hp and i was frantically running through rooms trying to avoid enemies and just couldn't find the door out of there. i ended up going down another 6 floors in seach of a door and eventually died when i went through into a room and there was just a giant standing in the tile next to the entrance. rip.

[Sumez]

Ouch. Isn't Cave Noire like super duper expensive?
To me it looks just like a million other roguelikes akin to Shiren the Wanderer?
edit: Apparently it only appeared expensive to me because I was searching for "cave noire" instead of "cavenoire".

[Immryr]

it's only really like shiren in that when you move the enemies move and it has randomly generated dungeons. rather than being one long quest or dungeon to get through this is broken up into small quests. there are four themed dungeons and in each you take on quests which get gradually more difficult in each dungeon. in one dungeon the theme is kill X monsters, in the other three it's collect X of this item. there is no levelling up in the game, each time you start a quest it's its own self contained thing, with no items or anything else carrying over. this makes it feel more immediate and almost arcadey than something like shiren where you're in it for the long haul and trying to level up your guy.

i just managed to do my first level 6 quest! the gold one. it really seems like doing the kill x monsters dungeon is going to be impossible on level 6, or require extreme luck.

oh, and as bil says, the music is great.

[soprano1]

Warning! Pocket dungeon hazard:



Hell yeah I rove this. ^o^ ta M.Knight, kitten and Damocles for the suggestion!

Box is lovely. Hell, most JP GB boxes are.