1941 Counter Attack vs Ghost Pilots. what's the better game?

gigadrive32 · Post by **gigadrive32** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 11:15 pm

Capcom's 1941 Counter Attack on CPS vs SNK's Ghost Pilots on NEO-GEO

I already have both so it's not about making a buying decision -- I'd just like to know people's opinions on these two classic WWII vert scrolling shmups that came out at almost the same point in time; 1990 and 1991 respectively.

1941 was the first of Capcom's 194X series that I really enjoyed,
Ghost Pilots was one of the first well-known attempts to mimic Capcom's series long before the Strikers series came along.

Ceph · Post by **Ceph** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 11:19 pm

What is better, gold or shit?

Ban plz.

/End of topic

gigadrive32 · Post by **gigadrive32** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 11:23 pm

ok I wasn't expecting a troll. wow.

heurhface · Post by **heurhface** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 11:26 pm

gigadrive32 wrote:ok I wasn't expecting a troll. wow.

It wasn't a troll, it was the equivalent of your question.

Ghost Pilots is utter and absolute shit of epic proportions. 1941 is a frickin' classic. What else need be said?

gigadrive32 · Post by **gigadrive32** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 11:38 pm

heurhface wrote:
gigadrive32 wrote:ok I wasn't expecting a troll. wow.
It wasn't a troll, it was the equivalent of your question.

Ghost Pilots is utter and absolute shit of epic proportions. 1941 is a frickin' classic. What else need be said?

well you're entitled to your opinion, but do you have to be so completely & utterly rude?

sheesh

Ganelon · Post by **Ganelon** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 11:46 pm

Dude, Ceph, you didn't need to be rude. I think gigadrive here really didn't didn't know that the contrast was so marked.

Anyway, I don't believe there are any Ghost Pilots fans here; 1941 is so much more fluid and varied.

gigadrive32 · Post by **gigadrive32** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 11:51 pm

I've known for ages that Ghost Pilots was not a stellar, triple-A effort but I didn't realize it was looked down on so much, as if it was a pile of dog poo.

I prefer 1941 by a great deal, I just wondered if there were any differing opinions.

at first i was gonna ask this over at Neo-Geo.com but figured I'd get a Neo-Biased response in favor of Ghost Pilots, so i asked here.

heurhface · Post by **heurhface** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 12:04 am

gigadrive32 wrote:at first i was gonna ask this over at Neo-Geo.com but figured I'd get a Neo-Biased response in favor of Ghost Pilots, so i asked here.

Not even Neo people like Ghost Pilots. When you have Strikers 1945 and Blazing Star to play... what's the point of Ghost Pilots?

1941 is a far superior game in every way. Anyone that wants to argue can step right up for a Wilford Brimley Day Johnson Sock.

Dandy J · Post by **Dandy J** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 12:07 am

no really no one is being mean its just ghost pilots is so bad it brings out the worst in people

heurhface · Post by **heurhface** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 12:11 am

Dandy J wrote:no really no one is being mean its just ghost pilots is so bad it brings out the worst in people

Seconded.

gigadrive32 · Post by **gigadrive32** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 12:11 am

eh. guess i shoulda' made a thread about

Capcom 19XX, 1944 vs Psikyo Strikers 1945 series

heurhface · Post by **heurhface** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 12:18 am

gigadrive32 wrote:eh. guess i shoulda' made a thread about

Capcom 19XX, 1944 vs Psikyo Strikers 1945 series

Yes. You should have. Then there would be flames from BOTH sides.

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 12:46 am

Definately 1941, although I've played Ghost Pilots and it isn't near as bad as it's made out to be, IMO.

The Coop · Post by **The Coop** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:22 am

The thing with Ghost Pilots isn't that it's bad, but rather that it's dull and uninspired. For a 55Mb cart, the graphics are definitely more at home on the Genesis in terms of detail level, and really, the Genesis version would have had better color contrast (the game looks a bit dull color-wise for a Neo-Geo effort). The enemy attack patterns aren't interesting, the sound effects aren't a stand out feature, the levels are ridiculously long, and in fact, there's nothing in GP that hasn't been done before it, and done better. The only thing that stands out a little in it, is the music (which is where I'd wager most of the 55Mb went). The composition isn't bad, and the instruments are decent. The hit detection's alright, and the controls are responsive... but those are about the best things to be said for GP.

On the whole, it's so average in nearly every aspect, that going with 1941 over it is an easy choice to make. I wouldn't refuse it if someone wanted to give it to me, but I wouldn't actively seek it out for purchase unless it was part of a compilation with the Neo-Geo's other (and better) shmups.

SFKhoa · Post by **SFKhoa** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 3:13 am

No contest. 1941 takes the trophy.

landshark · Post by **landshark** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 3:53 am

heurhface wrote:
gigadrive32 wrote:eh. guess i shoulda' made a thread about

Capcom 19XX, 1944 vs Psikyo Strikers 1945 series
Yes. You should have. Then there would be flames from BOTH sides.

Strikers will slaughter them all.

heurhface · Post by **heurhface** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 4:34 am

landshark wrote:
heurhface wrote:
gigadrive32 wrote:eh. guess i shoulda' made a thread about

Capcom 19XX, 1944 vs Psikyo Strikers 1945 series
Yes. You should have. Then there would be flames from BOTH sides.
Strikers will slaughter them all.

You wish. 19-- forever!

JBC · Post by **JBC** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 4:41 am

The only reason i like Ghost Pilots at all is nostalgia. I used to play it in Dairy Queen and eat grape starkisses after school when i was in elementary.

But they took that out and got SPACE HARRIER

Iaspis · Post by **Iaspis** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 6:06 am

I agree that Ghost Pilots is bad but it could have been better. If it hadn't been for its somewhat poor graphics (for the time) and HUGE player hitbox (which made it very frustrating at times) it would have been quite a good game. Not to mention the resemblance to Flying Shark. It's a pity it ruined it...

Edge · Post by **Edge** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 7:16 am

Ahh c'mon everyone, this forum is becoming more and more like <insert random retarded game forum>.

Everyone is entitled to his opinion, I guess there will be someone who seriously finds Ghost Pilot a better game than 1941. And why not? People like a lot of different games that I find utterly awful.

When I came to this forum i really liked it, because the people here were generally "friendly" and "open minded for different opinions". I agree that it sometimes gets boring with no new topics, there aren't hardly any new releases so not much new to discuss there anyway.

But please don't make this place biased troll-land, because there are hardly any game forums left which are enjoyable.

Or do we need a save the nous of shmups.com campaign?

@topic:
I personally don't like Ghost Pilots at all. I simply couldn't get used to the slow controls and the huge player ship.

heurhface · Post by **heurhface** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 7:26 am

Edge wrote:I guess there will be someone who seriously finds Ghost Pilot a better game than 1941.

Until you find that person, your post is pointless.

Edge · Post by **Edge** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 7:34 am

heurhface wrote: Until you find that person, your post is pointless.

Maybe try and open a thread over at neo-geo.com?

Strider77 · Post by **Strider77** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 9:00 am

I find ghost pilots better than 1941

The Coop · Post by **The Coop** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 9:23 am

Strider77 wrote:I find ghost pilots better than 1941

That's it baby. Spray that lighter fluid all over that fire

Ceph · Post by **Ceph** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 9:50 am

The Coop wrote:
Strider77 wrote:I find ghost pilots better than 1941
That's it baby. Spray that lighter fluid all over that fire

He's clearly possessed by the devil! The scientific approach would be to spray lighter fluid all over him, set him on fire and vanquish Beelzebub!*

PS. My first reply may have been a bit crass, but I simply said with as few words as possible what was said by others with more words. It's called the economic principle (achieving a desired result with as few resources as possible).

*I'm kidding, of course. We'll have to drown him

D · Post by D » Thu Mar 08, 2007 10:21 am

Ghost Pilots is in my top 3 of best shmups on any system.
It is the best launch title ever for any system.

FRO · Post by **FRO** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:58 pm

Personally, I don't like Ghost Pilots at all. It's harder than it needs to be due to the fact that you have no "invincibility window" after death, & that you come in from the side & get unceremoniously dropped into action, usually in the thick of fire or enemies. Your ship is also too slow to be effective at dodging, & let's not even get into the aforementioned oversized hitbox. Add it up and you have the makings of a dud.

1941, on the other hand, is a fun, balanced, unique shmup that has aged well & is a testament to not only the progression of the series (the games generally get better with each sequel, save for 1944), but also the thought & design that went into it.

Simply put, 1941 over Ghost Pilots. KO.

shoe-sama · Post by **shoe-sama** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:13 pm

Ghost Pilots is simply not a game you play. You'd be better off having it for dinner.

gigadrive32 · Post by **gigadrive32** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 5:39 pm

The Coop wrote:The thing with Ghost Pilots isn't that it's bad, but rather that it's dull and uninspired. For a 55Mb cart, the graphics are definitely more at home on the Genesis in terms of detail level, and really, the Genesis version would have had better color contrast (the game looks a bit dull color-wise for a Neo-Geo effort). The enemy attack patterns aren't interesting, the sound effects aren't a stand out feature, the levels are ridiculously long, and in fact, there's nothing in GP that hasn't been done before it, and done better. The only thing that stands out a little in it, is the music (which is where I'd wager most of the 55Mb went). The composition isn't bad, and the instruments are decent. The hit detection's alright, and the controls are responsive... but those are about the best things to be said for GP.

On the whole, it's so average in nearly every aspect, that going with 1941 over it is an easy choice to make. I wouldn't refuse it if someone wanted to give it to me, but I wouldn't actively seek it out for purchase unless it was part of a compilation with the Neo-Geo's other (and better) shmups.

thanks for the detailed reply - I checked the ROM size for 1941, unless I got the math wrong, it is slightly less than half the size of Ghost Pilots, 1941 weighs in at about 26Mb (smaller than Strider or Ghouls n Ghosts).

I agree Ghost Pilots is extremely oh-hum. first time I played it I was pretty disappointed -- because the promotional material / flyers / back cover of the box made it look so good. I remember looking at the back in Babbage's and being in awe--the only similar game I owned at the time was Bomber Raid for the Master System.

I know I'll take some additional flak for this -- but I think it's too bad the rumored Ghost Pilots 2 never showed up - it would've been interesting to see if they made major improvements.

D wrote:Ghost Pilots is in my top 3 of best shmups on any system.
It is the best launch title ever for any system.

lol, uh well except heh, Ghost Pilots (1991) wasn't a launch game for the Neo-Geo (1990).

The Coop · Post by **The Coop** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 6:47 pm

gigadrive32 wrote:
The Coop wrote:The thing with Ghost Pilots isn't that it's bad, but rather that it's dull and uninspired. For a 55Mb cart, the graphics are definitely more at home on the Genesis in terms of detail level, and really, the Genesis version would have had better color contrast (the game looks a bit dull color-wise for a Neo-Geo effort). The enemy attack patterns aren't interesting, the sound effects aren't a stand out feature, the levels are ridiculously long, and in fact, there's nothing in GP that hasn't been done before it, and done better. The only thing that stands out a little in it, is the music (which is where I'd wager most of the 55Mb went). The composition isn't bad, and the instruments are decent. The hit detection's alright, and the controls are responsive... but those are about the best things to be said for GP.

On the whole, it's so average in nearly every aspect, that going with 1941 over it is an easy choice to make. I wouldn't refuse it if someone wanted to give it to me, but I wouldn't actively seek it out for purchase unless it was part of a compilation with the Neo-Geo's other (and better) shmups.

thanks for the detailed reply - I checked the ROM size for 1941, unless I got the math wrong, it is slightly less than half the size of Ghost Pilots, 1941 weighs in at about 26Mb (smaller than Strider or Ghouls n Ghosts).

No problem. And I think you're comparing the compressed file to the original cart, which doesn't always give an accurate number in terms of cart size. If you check around, you'll see the original cart was a 55Mb beast (well, "beast" at the time).

Edit: In fact, it says it right on the box.