Shmupping on the Gizmondo: Angel Fish

Thunder Force · Post by **Thunder Force** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 7:48 am

The Gizmondo is a new handheld system, which seems to be a competitor to the N-Gage.

It's initial lineup of games already includes a shmup release.

Angel Fish
http://www.gizmondo.com/games/item.asp?id=8
http://www.fathammer.com/id/games/1096984158660314.html

D · Post by D » Thu Feb 03, 2005 9:40 am

That AngelFish video looks pretty hot.
Reasonably manic, but the End Bosses don't seem THAT big.

I think it'll be a nice one.

Brian · Post by **Brian** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 12:41 pm

Isn't the Gizmondo scheduled to come to the US this summer?

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 5:41 pm

WOW, that game looks like it could give Judgement Silversword a run for the money!!

Still, I'm not sure I want to pay over $400.00 for a Giz!:

http://www.gizmondo.com/storepublic/Store.aspx

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 5:55 pm

Argh!!!! Damn it.... I didn't really want to buy a Gizmondo.... but now I might have to...

Those bullet patterns look good, combination of splaying everywhere and aimed, the style of bullet dodging in that video was something I've only seen in Japanese-made shmups. This looks VERY promising!

the2bears · Post by **the2bears** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 7:49 pm

The game does look good, and it'd be nice to have a good game to carry around for a quick fix... but that's an expensive device that's not going anywhere. A competitor to the nGage? What's that device again?

However, on the other hand (as I justify it to myself) there's nothing wrong with having a device around just to play a particular game. I've done it before:)

Bill

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 8:15 pm

Dude, you could get a consolized MVS for $400. That's an absurd price for a device like this, I don't care how "sophisticated" it may be.

the2bears · Post by **the2bears** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 9:05 pm

...and the product lifecycles of phones are very short. At least with consoles, and especially retro consoles there's a ton of life left in them. I'm still amazed at my buying of new games on the DC.

I was not even half-serious myself about getting one. Unless you've got a ton of money to throw away (even then, try a charity

instead) that's way too much for a one-game device. If you need a new phone though the logic shifts a little.

Bill

Cthulhu · Post by **Cthulhu** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 6:48 am

Wow, a competitor to the n-gage? Amazing. If it steals 50% of the N-Gage's market, it'll sell almost 2000 units

This is the same system that already got a worst-of-show award from at least one magazine. It's expensive and too generalized - I can buy a cellphone and a PSP or a DS for the same price as this thing. No, wait, I can buy a cell phone and a game system and 2 games. Does the market need something like this? Hell no. Go ask Nokia.

The shoulder buttons on it make it look ridiculous as well. No way in hell am I buying one of these.

Andi · Post by **Andi** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 2:14 pm

All the other slated titles listed on that site look like absolute garbage. Sonic looks like a port of Sonic 1. Furious Phil? Mad Max anyone? And Momma Can I Mow The Lawn just sounds fucking awful.

Angelfish doesn't even look that good. It seems like a good shooter for a handheld, but not notable aside from that.

the2bears · Post by **the2bears** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 3:50 pm

Wait for the emulator:)

Bill

BUHA · Post by **BUHA** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 5:23 pm

i think the game looks like it's going to be great. too bad the gizmondo is retarded.

they'll make an emulator sooner or later though. hopefully soon.

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 6:41 pm

This illustrates why I got rid of my GBA; there's simply NO good reason for the lack of high-quality shmups on that system. Seriously, Angel Fish could've been done just as well on the GBA as on this new Gizmondo thing.

the2bears · Post by **the2bears** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 8:04 pm

Fathammer are the supplier of the 3D engine. Depending on the deal with Gizmondo I suspect it's in their very best interest to have this game on anything available that uses their tech.

As I suspect it likely is, it's a showcase by Fathammer for Fathammer and not exclusive to Giz. FH is trying to get their tech on a lot of small devices, so don't count out other ports just yet. I'm sure it's already playable on development emus - good luck getting one though:)

Bill

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 8:30 pm

While I do wish the GBA had more shmups, it does have at least a couple good shmups like the Gradius/Nemesis games, Space Invaders GB/GBC/GBA, GBC Defender in Joust/Defender, GB Galaga/Galaxian, Sagaia GB, SWIV GBC, Star Soldier Famicom Mini, Twinbee Famcom Mini, classic arcade ports, Iridion II, and some good borderliners like Metal Slug Advance. There is another game with shump parts coming to the GBA very soon too.

The Game Gear only has Super Space Invaders, Galaga '90, Aerial Assault, Halley Wars, the Aleste games, and a good, but flawed Fantasy Zone game. The Lynx has less. The only handheld systems with more shmups than the GBA are the Turbo Express and the Nomad. Angelfish may very well be the only shmup for the Gizmondo coming out.

druuna · Post by **druuna** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 9:03 pm

We don't know if this game is any good but this seems the same story as with the Wonderswan: can you buy an handheld system for only 1 game???
Like Judgement Silversword for the wsc.
But the Wonderswan didn't cost 350$.....and there're other non-shmups good games.

the2bears · Post by **the2bears** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 5:58 am

Talked to Fathammer at the GDC Expo tonight, and played this on a Dell pocket pc. Not the right device for it, I didn't like the directional pad at all (on a different note I tried out a PSP, the analog stick on that rocks!) but I like the game. Great style to the graphics and it really did look great on the Dell.

Fathammer's transitioning to a publisher, not a technology company and thus intend to have this game as more than just a technology display. I talked with a couple people at the booth and the game will be available shortly on some mobile phones (the newer Nokia Series 60 and newer Sony Ericsson's like the S7001).

I'm excited, I've got phones at work that can play this. Looks to be a great "little" game for mobile devices.

Bill

Fost · Post by **Fost** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 11:03 am

Isn't the Gizmondo essentially another WindowsCE device? If so, it should be much easier to develop or even port older games to it than other handhelds.

Post by **system11** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 11:06 am

I don't know what the gizmondo people are thinking. That product is going to sink without a trace in just months commercially (possibly turning into a virtually homebrew only platform like the GP32). Would you launch a new handheld at the same time as Nintendo/Sony colliding with new products?

Nope.

Idiots.

Blue Lander · Post by **Blue Lander** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 12:53 pm

Bleh, looks sort of generic. Maybe I'll buy the game now and get the system when it bombs and drops in price.

the2bears · Post by **the2bears** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 6:42 pm

Fost wrote:Isn't the Gizmondo essentially another WindowsCE device? If so, it should be much easier to develop or even port older games to it than other handhelds.

I think you're right, and it was already there on the Dell pocket pc so it's probably very easy for them to port to those devices.

Bill

the2bears · Post by **the2bears** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 6:43 pm

bloodflowers wrote:I don't know what the gizmondo people are thinking. That product is going to sink without a trace in just months commercially (possibly turning into a virtually homebrew only platform like the GP32). Would you launch a new handheld at the same time as Nintendo/Sony colliding with new products?

Nope.

Idiots.

I agree. I've got no experience in marketting or product management but even I (a lowly engineer) can see the product's going nowhere. Same to the Tapwave IMO.

Bill

theevilfunkster · Post by **theevilfunkster** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 8:35 pm

the gizmondo is a joke. way too expensive, bad release time, shit name, i really cant see it selling more than a couple of units

and i just saw one of their marketing guys on tv saying "the nintendo ds hardware is terrible".

angel fish looks pretty cool though

Super Laydock · Post by **Super Laydock** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 8:07 pm

Could be a real collectors item in about 10 years, but I am very underwhelmed by the smal vids and screens considering the hardware (and the price of that hardware) it runs on. Looks like nothing special to me..

Vexorg · Post by **Vexorg** » Sun Mar 13, 2005 6:09 am

Does that mean that they are going to be releasing a PPC version as well? If so, I might have to pick this one up.

the2bears · Post by **the2bears** » Sun Mar 13, 2005 7:29 am

Vexorg wrote:Does that mean that they are going to be releasing a PPC version as well? If so, I might have to pick this one up.

I think it very likely judging from my chat with Fathammer.

Bill

LoneSage · Post by **LoneSage** » Sun Mar 13, 2005 7:35 pm

Fathammer is the name of the Danny Devito character in Space Jam; wtf.

Angel Fish looks awesome. Too bad I'm not getting a Gizmondo. I don't feel like buying a handheld that sounds like a cheap porn flick.

Dylan1CC · Post by **Dylan1CC** » Sun Mar 13, 2005 8:19 pm

Wow, a Judgment Silversword homage indeed. That is some manic and stylishly drawn action. Still as other said, a $400 possible NGage is way too much for one game. I know nothing of the Gizmondo other than a brief synopsis of it in EGM a few months ago in their handhelds cover story. No pics of it or anything either.

EDIT: Might I add, a system with a linup including such generic sounding titles as "Momma Can I Mow the Lawn" and "Johnny Whatever" doesn't exactly motivate me to vote with my dollar in confidence.

And the NGage's lineup looked bad...

And heck yes I will buy a PC rev.

highlandcattle · Post by **highlandcattle** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 4:00 pm

They also made a less cool looking shooter on the tapwave

Post by **system11** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 7:47 pm

Straying off topic, but I'd like to see another GP32 style handheld, just one with more power - with open dev libraries and tools. I get loads of enjoyment out of my GP32, playing homegrown games and old system emulators. Much more fun than I could get from a closed lineup as Nintendo and Sony will be pushing.