M2 Toaplan collection

[XtraSmiley]

So I'm a bit confused. On the previous games to get the alternate cover you had to order from Amazon Japan and get the special version.

The special version this time would have the HS cover correct? So how do you get the HS cover and the TP cover? Two different orders?

[Koa Zo]

So I'm a bit confused. On the previous games to get the alternate cover you had to order from Amazon Japan and get the special version.

The special version this time would have the HS cover correct? So how do you get the HS cover and the TP cover? Two different orders?

Game Shop 1983

[XtraSmiley]

Thanks, so to be clear, that link they sell the game and the bonus is 3 copies of the TP cover? Hmm, seems odd. Then you miss out on the Amazon only alt cover?

[pablumatic]

Thanks, so to be clear, that link they sell the game and the bonus is 3 copies of the TP cover? Hmm, seems odd. Then you miss out on the Amazon only alt cover?

Correct. Enjoy buying multiple copies for all the store exclusive extras.

[BurlyHeart]

Are the Amazon exclusive covers separate covers or are they reversible ones?

[pablumatic]

Are the Amazon exclusive covers separate covers or are they reversible ones?

They're separate.

[BurlyHeart]

Thanks!

[Steven]

Final Horror Story covers are up. Front by Hayashi Miho, back by Takayama... something.

Spoiler

Spoiler

[pablumatic]

Kyukyoku Tiger-Heli Collection is getting a western release, shockingly.

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2023/ ... y-the-esrb

Limited Run Games is doing the physical release.

[TransatlanticFoe]

Early days so maybe someone else will do it in Europe (seeing as the recent City Connections are split between Limited Run and Clear River for the Western releases). Who's excited for these and hasn't already imported though?

[Jonpachi]

Who's excited for these and hasn't already imported though?

Depending on pricing, I'd be game to pick up the Switch version to go with my PS4 import copy. These still command premium pricing in Japan ($70+ USD), but I would expect them to be more around the $40 USD mark in the west.

[Martinov]

If they have everything on the PS4 discs then maybe. I'll wait to see what they say in the announcement a couple of days from now. I've not bought any of the Toaplan collections so far (they basically released all the games I'm least interested first), but I am intending to buy the Zero Fire collection

[pablumatic]

Early days so maybe someone else will do it in Europe (seeing as the recent City Connections are split between Limited Run and Clear River for the Western releases). Who's excited for these and hasn't already imported though?

I wouldn't say excited, but if it has English menus I'd double-dip.

[BydoR9]

Not sure I would double dip having imported all Shottriggers so far (and have Zero Fire on preorder).

Speaking of Shottriggers....

What's going on with Playasia's Ketsui price at the moment? Crazy (and I mean CRAZY) cheap!

https://www.play-asia.com/ketsui-deatht ... /13/70c0yh

Cost me about £84 quid a couple of years ago, so a tad gutting. Also, it was only a couple of months ago when it was about £135 before tax and shipping.

Buy it now if you don't already own it people.
(Currently £40.65 before tax and shipping at the time of this post).

[Samuray]

Buy it now if you don't already own it people.
(Currently £40.65 before tax and shipping at the time of this post).

Is my X360 copy "good enough" or is there reason to upgrade? Can't find much in this.

[Jeneki]

The 360 port is fine if you're most interested in the arcade mode. I recall hearing the speed is a tiny bit fast, but not enough for me to complain (going back and forth between 360 and pcb at a buddy's place).

The new port has the Deathtiny arrange mode if you want to try something different, plus some useful training options. It's enough new features that I don't regret double dipping.

[Steven]

Lol that's more or less the normal MSRP; what you are seeing is the effect of the yen being pretty worthless right now.

Wasn't M2 supposed to do another stream this month before the release of Zero Fire? That's in under 9 days, so it should be pretty soon.

[BurlyHeart]

Fall 2023 for the LRG Tiger-Heli release. They mentioned it includes the console versions and Teki-Paki....but did not say if they were on the disc.

I might just go digital, especially with Bitwave doing a PC version soon enough.

[SavagePencil]

I might just go digital, especially with Bitwave doing a PC version soon enough.

You might want to think twice before trusting the Bitwave version: https://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.p ... e#p1527560

[CRP]

I wouldn't say excited, but if it has English menus I'd double-dip.

If it is, please let it be done by blackoak.

[Steven]

Stream is on release day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2np6Wc3cppo

2 guests: Uemura and Toyama, and it looks like Toyama will be attempting a clear on the stream. There will be a special PV for something, and Tatsujin is making an announcement at the end.

My company is pretty much no longer doing work from home anymore, so I will probably not be able to do live translation for M2 streams from now on. I am thinking about taking leave on the 20th and 21st for Zero Fire, but I may have to go to work on the 20th briefly around the time of the stream anyway even if I do take leave, but we will see.

[Steven]

Less than 24 hours left until the 20th, so I figured that I might as well make a few recommendations, as I am sure that someone is going to play at least one of these games for the first time.

Arcade Zero Wing is very different from the MD version, with much higher extend scores, so you can't afford to die at all in this version, and enemies have bloated HP values, so 12Hz autofire is highly recommended unless you want to use 30Hz, which might be considered overkill. In any case, you definitely don't want to play arcade Zero Wing without autofire. 1P version has a higher shot limit than the 2P version, and I imagine they probably fixed the weird glitches that the 1P version has. I hope they did... It's Toaplan, so as usual, the 1P version is the one you really should play.

Skip PAL MD Zero Wing, as it unfortunately plays at 50Hz here. PC Engine Zero Wing had little involvement from Toaplan (Uemura-san did the arranged music, but that's the only involvement Toaplan had with this version's development as far as I know) and it kind of sucks, but it's there if you want it.

Arcade Hellfire is even more different from its MD version than Zero Wing is. The 1P arcade version is the intended and recommended version, so play that before the 2P version. Autofire is somewhat useless in this game when you are powered up because the shot limit is only 1 or 2 shots, depending on what version you play and what weapon you use, but the first few power levels have a higher shot limit. When I went to the location test for this, I noticed that they fixed the glitch with autofire on the shot button causing your select button to also have autofire, so you don't have to worry about that anymore.

Everyone's played MD Hellfire, but if you haven't played PC Engine Hellfire, it's super easy and based on the 2P version. Don't be surprised if you 1CC the PC Engine version the first time you play it. Yes, it really is that easy. Aside from the shield, its gameplay is also somewhat more accurate to the 2P arcade version than the MD version is to the 1P arcade version, so maybe not a bad place to start with Hellfire.

Horror Story = play version B first. Yes, B first, not A. Horror Story version B is probably the best game in this entire collection aside from Teki-Paki. Bomb looks useless, but it's actually really good unless you need to shoot upwards, and in that case get the 3-way. This game's PCB has autofire on the C button by default, which is super weird for a Toaplan game, but that's how it is. PC Engine Horror Story doesn't really feel right at all. It's hard to describe, but the collision or the physics or whatever feel super wrong. It's also based on the significantly more common version A and the arranged music sadly is pretty weak compared to the amazing FM synth on the PCB, so yeah, highly skippable.

[BrianC]

Odd that the more common Horror Story version starts in the China level and not the city level filled with spooks, which is a way more fitting starting level.

[Steven]

What I can say about Horror Story is that that although the stage design is the same between the versions, the enemy placement is radically different. You could and maybe should consider them to be two different, separate games built using the same assets. This is kind of cool, and people who like Horror Story have two very different versions of the game to play as a result. One might also find it interesting that the soundtrack for the game has everything in the version B stage order, too, not the version A order.

Hellfire is also like this; the 1P version is quite rare despite being the intended version of the game, and the 1P version was probably only released in Japan, so any 1P overseas PCBs that you may or may not find are probably all fakes. The instruction cards and the arcade flyer for the game show the 1P version, but that version is very uncommon.

[Sumez]

Remind me again how the Amazon JP order works.

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/B0C1SL2YF7

Do I need to select the more expensive "【Amazon.co.jp限定】付き" edition to get the bonus cover art for Horror Story, or is that included in both versions they sell?
I seem to recall accidentally picking the Amazon.co.jp option on a product in the past and the product was exactly the same, they just sent me a mail with some PNG or something :S

I ordered with them for both previous Toaplan collections and got the covers, but I can't remember which version I picked.

[Jonpachi]

I'm curious to try Horror Story, but the auto-scrolling seems to rob it of a lot of fun. At least, when watching videos, there seems to be a lot of downtime between waves.

[Ms. Tea]

Do I need to select the more expensive "【Amazon.co.jp限定】付き" edition to get the bonus cover art for Horror Story, or is that included in both versions they sell?

The item description mentions that the Amazon edition is the bonus cover. You do need the Amazon.co.jp限定 version to get the bonus cover.

[Warp_Rattler]

Fall 2023 for the LRG Tiger-Heli release. They mentioned it includes the console versions and Teki-Paki....but did not say if they were on the disc.

I know I'm late to the announcement and all, but this still seems like such an odd licensing choice. I know the STG genre is getting a bit more visibility with things like YouTube personalities, reviews by competent folks on sites like NintendoLife, etc. but this still seems like such a niche title to pick up, especially since--as someone commented earlier--most people who would have wanted to would have likely grabbed a copy already. I've picked the collection back up to get hyped up for whenever CD Japan ships my Zero Fire order, and I don't think the Japanese text would make the game completely impenetrable for folks with zero Japanese ability.

I would be strongly tempted, however, to double-dip should Teki-Paki be on the cart/disc...

And speaking of, did anyone in the US spring for the Game Shop 1983 edition, and is there any chance you don't need all three Teki-Paki covers???

[BurlyHeart]

It's likely to do with the Embracer Group owning LRG and the rights to the Toaplan library (if I read correctly?) that we're seeing it being released by LRG.

[BIL]

I know I'm outta the goddamn loop when a release of this eminence sneaks up on me. That's my weekend sorted out.