New XLBIG shmup - MACE...

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Saw the new XLBIG shmup by the name of MACE out on both the USA and JPN region XBox Live marketplaces under the indie games section...is priced at $1.00 USD and 100 yen respectively. Bought it on the U.S. XBox Live site but there's no functionality to change the buttons to your liking nor is there any digital joystick support if you plan to play MACE with a candy cab setup and using the cab's control panel setup via a hacked 360 pad or PS360+ interface (only analog joystick support for right now). I'm sure with an appropiate update, those minor issues would be addressed/resolved. Like the high-res overall aestethics of it. Looks great running on a 15kHz low-res arcade monitor setup via Ultracade uVC setup with the usual old-school scanlines and all.

And MACE does have built-in support for use with an 3D LCD TV/monitor setup as a bonus (either active shutter based LCD 3D glasses or the passive 3D glasses would be needed to take advantage of it though)...a definite first in regards to an XBLIG 2D-based shmup title indeed. How cool is that?

Only if the cool indie 360 shmup devs could have easy access to a proper low-res arcade monitor to gauge how their shmup titles will "look like in the flesh ol' school style "...that'd be ace (but that's pure hard-core in going that particular route, of course -- not everybody has access to those methods/tools of the trade).

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[BareKnuckleRoo]

You mean this game?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3Y-Ebdei2E

Massive lifebar, boring enemy shots, thin and horribly slow gun that can't kill popcorn, and a horribly pathetic bomb that makes Raiden series bombs look awesome. Yawn. Does it ever get interesting?

there's no functionality to change the buttons to your liking nor is there any digital joystick support

It's 2013 and people still do this shit?

[PC Engine Fan X!]

I think it needs a major overhaul if it wants to be like one of those ol' school arcade shmup titles aka "Quarter/yen/pence muncher".

Plus it has those irksome sniper bullets to contend with aimed at your backside from time to time as well.

Why not allow the player the choice to use either the analog stick or d-pad support from the get-go?

If you reach stage 1-3, the pace tends to pick up a bit and the enemies' bullets pick up speed also.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Pretas]

Looks dreadful. I thought MS discontinued support for XNA?

[BrianC]

http://www.gamefaqs.com/n64/197812-mace ... age/images I think of this when I think MACE.

[NTSC-J]

I guess I should just get used to the fact that from here on out, the only "new STG!" threads are going to be for junky trash like this, but each one hurts just as much as the last.

[KennyMan666]

I tried the trial when it had just been released a few days ago and it's absolute shit. It has everything: Terrible controls, slow as fuck player shots, lifebar, no real invincibility between hits, popcorn enemies taking too many hits, etc etc etc. It's a euroshmup through and through. Avoid it like the plague.

[n0rtygames]

I thought MS discontinued support for XNA?

No they're just not applying any new updates at the moment. There's no plans for the platform (XBLIG) to go away. All the noise you heard was just stupid hype to get people to start jumping ship to the next gen stuff and/or buying Unity licenses.

It hasn't had any updates for years now, so literally nothing has changed.

[Despatche]

there's no functionality to change the buttons to your liking nor is there any digital joystick support

It's 2013 and people still do this shit?

you know, as great as that first principle is... if default buttons involve shift/z/x/c/v, you don't really need anything else

but yeah please go play GAURODAN or something

[jasoncslaughter]

Gotta love the "pew pew pew" shot sound.

[mice]

I think of this when I think MACE.

And I think of astronauts when I hear capcom. Some people just have to write unrelated stuff.

you know, as great as that first principle is... if default buttons involve shift/z/x/c/v, you don't really need anything else

but yeah please go play GAURODAN or something

I can't play Gaurodan nor use the keyboard on my xbox.

But yeah, this is the definition of a euroshmup.

[BrianC]

I think of this when I think MACE.

And I think of astronauts when I hear capcom. Some people just have to write unrelated stuff.

Point missed. This M.A.C.E. shmup looks terrible and doesn't deserve the name MACE. MACE the Dark Age may not be that great, but I rather play it than this crap.

[Sinful]

Massive lifebar, boring enemy shots, thin and horribly slow gun that can't kill popcorn, and a horribly pathetic bomb that makes Raiden series bombs look awesome. Yawn. Does it ever get interesting?

You know, I kinda wish not all shmups had Compile screen width clearing shots or close to it like it seems to be the trend nowadays. ... Thought not sure this is the game I had in mind? Thinking something more along the line of the early Toaplan shooter Flying Shark & it's Neo Geo copycat called Ghost Pilot. Now these two shooter are a nice chance if pace. Wouldn't mind more of them.

Still, this game is more then with it for one buck. I mean, it's different & it could work out well if the game was balanced well around it. Plus he says it gets better by stage three!! So sure, why not.

there's no functionality to change the buttons to your liking nor is there any digital joystick support

It's 2013 and people still do this shit?

At least it don't make you hold both L & R Trigger for shooting the entire time. :p (Man, I never thought holding them two button down for two long, ie. two stages, could be such a pain?)

But yeah, I can't believe this crap is still being pulled off. Alongside there still being PC games released without Gamepad support for crying out loud! (Mass Effect Trilogy)

[BareKnuckleRoo]

You know, I kinda wish not all shmups had Compile screen width clearing shots or close to it like it seems to be the trend nowadays.

There's nothing wrong with a good thin shot type (Palm in Futari, the blue laser in Air Gallet, Ageha from Espgaluda, every A type ship in Donpachi games, Ikaruga, Ruby from Giga Wing). The problem is it's slow and weak... spread types that sacrifice raw damage for more coverage makes sense, but a thin shot that can't even kill popcorn and has an abysmal firing rate is just stupid. A shmup that starts you at a terrible default power just isn't that much fun to play (it might not be so weak when you get powered up, but the video never shows you getting a remotely good main shot).

At least it don't make you hold both L & R Trigger for shooting the entire time. :p (Man, I never thought holding them two button down for two long, ie. two stages, could be such a pain?)

Konami's pretty good about this with their ports, thankfully. The Gradius, Salamander and Parodius console games all let you bind Shot + Missile to the same button instead of having to hold shot + missile the whole time. Gradius V goes one better, giving you a Rapid Shot, Rapid Missile, Single Shot and Single Missile, so you can bind one button to rapidfire both, and seperate buttons for those sections when you want to precisely fire one missile or bullet at an enemy (like you're in the loop and want to avoid killing enemies lest you cause a bunch of revenge bullets to appear).

I know first person shooters like Halo do this if you can dual-wield, but FPSes generally require holding the triggers for short spurts. I can see someone would rather want to use LB RB or map both shot buttons to face buttons to reduce strain and allow your left hand to focus more on the D-Pad.

[KennyMan666]

Still, this game is more then with it for one buck.

I assume you mean "more than worth it", to which I can only reply no, it to a hilarious degree isn't. This game is so terrible it wouldn't be worth the hard drive space if it was free.

[Sinful]

Crap, though I posted a reply for Roo already? Hope it didn't end up in another topic again. Well, looking quickly at his post, I guess all he said seems fine to me? So maybe I never did make a post reply before?

Still, this game is more then with it for one buck.

I assume you mean "more than worth it", to which I can only reply no, it to a hilarious degree isn't. This game is so terrible it wouldn't be worth the hard drive space if it was free.

Oh, no I have to buy it just to find out for myself now!

[Aleksei]

just watching that video gave me a headache, this has inspired me to start a thread of worst games w/ mace a the top

[KennyMan666]

Oh, no I have to buy it just to find out for myself now!

No you don't.

Seriously, don't.

[Ed Oscuro]

Can do, Midway!

Truly, Mace has ushered in a new age of gaming.

[BIL]

Gaming revolution inbound.

PEPPER SPRAY neutralises MACE
MACE smashes TEETH
TEETH eat PEPPER (so you can't make any spray)!

[Ed Oscuro]

"Come at me, Mace."

BEAR arrives on the scene and saves the GAMERS from the mace!

Nom, nom, nom. Tastiest $1 developer ever.