To complete or not to complete

DazTM · Post by **DazTM** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 5:39 pm

After recently getting both In the Hunt and Strikers 1942 II for the Saturn, I've been reconsidering finishing of my collection (currently have 38 now).

The thing is, I seem to have all the good games and only have 5the crappy shooters to get. Has anyone else got a complete set of Saturn Shmups, or do you feel it's not worth getting stuff for completists sake?

Ord · Post by **Ord** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 5:53 pm

I'm in the same boat as you and personally it's just not worth it. i'd rather save the money on other good games than waste it on crap titles that i'll only play once.
So you can boast that you have every Saturn shooter, isn't really that cool.

dpful · Post by **dpful** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 6:02 pm

I"m down with collecting in e serious way, but my bias is usually towards series and rare stuff (It's mostly about the collecting and the collection- not really about the "having" when it comes to some of that stuff)
If you like playing the shmups, you don't really have to collect them.
I focus on the ones I love, but I've gone into debt many times over things like Taito G-net and Keneko Super Nova, not to mention PCB's like Osman and my expensive Viper Phase 1 (it was awhile ago)- not to mention that I've been fixated on buying a NAOMI just so I can play Giga Wing 2!

visuatrox · Post by **visuatrox** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 6:36 pm

I'm in a similar situation but for other systems. It is like huge mental battle, I have a collectors mentality and often pay ridiculous prices for something rare, but then at the same time I know most of the really rare games are not worth the money. My wallet would be much fatter if it was not for import shops and internet auctions

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 6:42 pm

I've always thought that someday I would complete my Saturn collection, though I am much further from doing so than you are. Just wondering: what games are you on the fence about?

DazTM · Post by **DazTM** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 7:49 pm

professor ganson wrote:I've always thought that someday I would complete my Saturn collection, though I am much further from doing so than you are. Just wondering: what games are you on the fence about?

These ones...

Blastwind
Bokan To Ippatsu Doronboo Kanpekiban
Gekirindan
Layer Section II
Planet Joker Naxat Soft
Skull Fang
Space Invaders
Steam Hearts
Cotton 2
Cotton Boomerang
Darius II
Macross: Do You Remember Love?
Metal Black
Sol Divide
Dezaemon 2
Konami Antiques MSX Collection

Ord · Post by **Ord** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 8:13 pm

Blastwind, Gekirindan, Metal Black and the 2 cotton games are great. Planet Joker is just so bad that i'm.......speechless. I bought it and sold it in the same week.

CMoon · Post by **CMoon** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 8:17 pm

Yeah, I have no intention of having a complete saturn collection, but wouldn't hesitate picking up Gekirindan and Metal Black (though isn't Cotton 2 pretty much surplanted by boomerang?). Blastwind is a little expensive for what it is, from what I've heard.

DazTM · Post by **DazTM** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 8:18 pm

Cool, I'll get the ones you mentioned and leave it at that

8 1/2 · Post by **8 1/2** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 8:35 pm

Definitely go for Cotton Boomerang over 2. It's sort of how Metal Slug X is to Metal Slug 2... a nice "director's cut" if you will.

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 8:41 pm

Dezaemon 2 is really cool if you feel like expressing yourself creatively. however, i don't speak a lick of japanese, so all my abilities with that game are from trial-and-error and visual understanding. not fun as a general process, but a cool little tool besides.

Konami Antiques MSX, while i cannot afford it yet, is a definite buy for me. My giggles will be many when i can finally play the Gradii and Salamander (among others of course). man, just think of my reaction when i get a real MSX, an uncontrollable fit of glee that lasts for days and days, that's what.

i would suggest when considering this game look at the reviews on Xenocidefiles and this topic.

adam76 · Post by **adam76** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 10:31 pm

I'm at a similar stage myself(about 25 at the last count) and i reckon it comes down to two things: How much money do you have/wanna spend? and What emphasis do you place on collection?
Your urge for completion has got to be as strong as a lemming standing next to a cliffs is to jump if you wanna make Planet Joker your next purchase!

Post by **Shatterhand** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 11:33 pm

I want second Blast Wind, Gekirindan and Cotton Boomerang. But don't bother with Gekirindan if you don't tate your screen, as the only other screen mode is "original 1", and it sucks. (You can play in tate mode and not rotate your control, so you can play the game with your tv in yoko poisition anyway, but I hate that

)

I find Metal Black to be pretty meh, but it has its fans. I don't like it really.

Darius 2 is fine too, it just feels old because, well, it's old

. I like it, and I played it a lot when this and Terra Cresta 3D were my only saturn shmups

. Nowadays it doesn't get much playtime from me. If you can get it cheap, I would get it.

Layer Section 2 also is pretty good, except it's a hell lot better in the PSX (Raystorm).

Konami Antique MSX collection is worthy not only for the shmups. Penguin Adventure is an amazing game.

Everything else in the list either suck, or I have never played (Kanpekiban, Cotton 2, Space Invaders, Dezaemon 2) , or really sucks indeed. Steam Hearts had the potential to be good... if the game had a few tweaks in the gameplay, it would be good. Skull Fang and Planet Joker are horrible though, as Sol Divide is.

Oh, and be warned, a lot of people would rate Gekiridan in their worst 10 shmups of all time. I can't get it why.... the game is solid.. it's not the best shmup ever, but it plays very well.... maybe it's because the quality of the port... it's very inferior to the arcade version in technical areas (It doesn't sound as good, it has some slowdown, some backgrounds are incredibly pixellated and there's loading times before the bosses), but it has all the gameplay of it.