Shmup article in EGM #202 April 2006 issue...

[PC Engine Fan X!]

If you're like me, yes, I've got a subcription to several video game magazines including the USA based Electronic Gaming Monthly (or better known as 'EGM' in short). Anyways, in the latest issue of EGM dated April 2006 and is #202, there is an shmup article on page 30 with the mention of Ibara. A single screenshot shows the PS2 version of Ibara.

Here's the EGM "Ibara" article in it's entirety:

EGM International --

Twice as exciting as karaoke and vodka...

PS2 -- Ibara

"Why do developers in Japan keep making vertical shooters?"

Because it's in their DNA -- that, and what else are supposed to play in arcades (better known as "Japanese game centers", my two cents here) when all the Capcom VS. SNK 2 (arcade) machines are occupied? Ibara is the latest from developer Cave (maker of Dodonpachi and a lot of other shooters), and as you might expect, it's for those with RoboCop-like reflexes only. "Sounds way too hard to me." Obviously, you lack the discipline and upbringing in Tokyo arcades (again, is supposed to be refering to Japanese game centers here) can provide. Like the infamous Ikaruga (for USA Gamecube console), this game packs an almost ludicrous amount of enemies onscreen, and can only be conquered with practice, memorization, and more practice. With the (vertical & horizontal side scrolling) shooters genre basically on life support in America, don't expect Ibara anytime soon.

-- End of EGM shmup article --

Unless with SCEA's blessing, I'd suppose if a 3rd-party PS2 software publisher was interested in bringing Ibara to the USA, it would have to be released in the $19.99 to $29.99 price category. I do recall that the USA version of PS2 "Castle of Shikigami 2" was released at a very cheap-ass budget price of $9.99 USD...a steal at that price point. Only 10,000 copies were produced for the 1st print production run...is considered the lowest production print run for a USA released PS2 software title. Of course, a 2nd limited production print run of "Castle of Shikigami 2" was ordered and completed.

Too bad the independent video game magazine by the name of GameFan went kaput in late 2000. It really was the only USA published video game mag that covered the world of shmups for the arcades & home game consoles as well. GameFan, we miss you dearly. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[CIT]

Maybe shooters wouldn't be "on life support" if wankers like EGM didn't constantly try to convince people that this is the case. Of course it's easy to diss shooters, as the small companies that do sporadically bring them out in the West don't usually buy adds in EGM. Lots of people want to play shooters (look at Gradius V sales figure), but I can understand if the bad rap they get makes publishers reluctant about it. So the shmuppers just stick to MAME or buy retro instead.

[Kiken]

Hardcore Gamer Magazine have been doing some decent shmup reviews. In their upcoming 10th issue they have a vertically oriented 2-page spread for Rajirugi (and the write-up is very positive). I was shown the preliminary page layout.

Issue 11 will have a review of Ibara which is being handled by Ashura (he really seemed to like the game and again, gave a solid review).

[Ganelon]

I'd suppose if a 3rd-party PS2 software publisher was interested in bringing Ibara to the USA, it would have to be released in the $19.99 to $29.99 price category.

Zero chance of that happening since Cave cares about the value of its games and won't license stuff out at a rate that could profitably sell for cheap.

[CIT]

Zero chance of that happening since Cave cares about the value of its games and won't license stuff out at a rate that could profitably sell for cheap.

Is this the same Cave that temporarily gave its Dodonpachi license to IGS?

[Ganelon]

For good money, yes.

[professor ganson]

Maybe shooters wouldn't be "on life support" if wankers like EGM didn't constantly try to convince people that this is the case. Of course it's easy to diss shooters, as the small companies that do sporadically bring them out in the West don't usually buy adds in EGM. Lots of people want to play shooters (look at Gradius V sales figure), but I can understand if the bad rap they get makes publishers reluctant about it. So the shmuppers just stick to MAME or buy retro instead.

Nicely put. Every freaking time they mention shoot-em-ups they have to go on and on about how this is a completely dead genre.

And these are the same writers for EGM who are saying that they spend all their time playing Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved!

[professor ganson]

"it's for those with RoboCop-like reflexes only. "Sounds way too hard to me." Obviously, you lack the discipline and upbringing in Tokyo arcades (again, is supposed to be refering to Japanese game centers here) can provide. Like the infamous Ikaruga (for USA Gamecube console), this game packs an almost ludicrous amount of enemies onscreen, and can only be conquered with practice, memorization, and more practice." -EGM

You mean you actually have to practice to get good at this game?!? F that!

Clearly, the game is hard. But given that I was able to get well into the second level on my very first play, it's not stupidly hard.

[elvis]

You mean you actually have to practice to get good at this game?!? F that!

Nail. Head. Hit.

People are afraid of a challenge it seems. If you can't waltz through a game in one sitting, then it's too goddamn hard for average Joe Gamer.

The concept of playing a tough game for a long time seems to be long gone. And then we see magazines packed full of reviews whining about no longterm playability of games in single player mode! The irony of it all is sometimes overwhelming.

[sffan]

Am I out of touch because I'm primarily interested in a "dead" genre of video games? Or am I just in on something good that most people are unaware of. I'm trying to figure this out.

It does seem like this site is a rare "island" of appreciation for 2D shooters, isolated from the mainstream video game community.

[Xexyz]

It's definately the latter sffan.

And elvis, I completely agree with you. Not just reviewers, but the gamers as well get sick of a lot of the mainstream games these days after they play through them once. I blame the fact that everything has to be a long, epic adventure full of cinematic cut scenes and dialouge in order to sell and be well recieved. It's fine that these types of games exist, but not when they're all like this. Like you said, replayability goes right out the window. Nobody really want's to go back to a 20-40+ hour adventure right after beating it.

This is what probably caused the surge in retro gaming. People started looking back at the NES and said things I only assume like, "wow, these games are short, but challenging and fun to replay and master!" That and they're cheap

I'm starting to see a rise in Genesis collecting in my area now (sucks for me since it's one of my favorites to collect for...).

[Dave_K.]

The majority of console developers are trying to make an "experience" not a game. They believe (and may be right) that a majority of US gamer population want an interactive movie they can loose themselves in. EGM reinforces this notion by agreeing with the majority...nothing else. Shooters and "arcade/retro" gaming expierence IS making an underground comback.

[neoalphazero]

They spouted the same crap the last time a shooter was in their international section. It seems if that area of the magazine is dedicated more to poking fun at Japanese games than bringing them to the attention of readers.


"Look at this weird waste of plastic, clutch your copy of Madden tight!" *-neo

[FRO]

People are afraid of a challenge it seems. If you can't waltz through a game in one sitting, then it's too goddamn hard for average Joe Gamer.

That depends on the games. I think the challenge aspect is based on who's playing & what they're used to. I SUCK at FPS games. Absolutely suck. I was decent at Wolfenstein 3D & Doom, okay at Rise of the Triad & Duke Nukem 3D, but anything that came after Quake I just SUCK at. I'm an old school gamer w/ 2D shooters & platformers under my belt, & it's been difficult for me to break that mold. Granted, that didn't stop me from getting good at 3D games (like Spyro or Syphon Filter), but that's not where my strength is.

When you look at the kids today who play these games, they're used to massive 3D worlds & all kinds of stuff to shoot at while having places to duck & cover when they need to reload or pick a weapon or just get a breather. The concept of having to blast through an entire level & only get the 5-10 seconds of breather between levels when it transitions is foreign to most of them because they grew up playing games (other than fighters) that allowed for those kinds of gaps. Any game that either throws it all at you 100% of the time (like a shmup) or is timed (like some platformers) don't allow for that kind of mentality - you have to be on your toes all the time. You'd think that would be the order of the day for today's ADHD-type youth, but apparently not.

Sorry if my rant got a little OT, but I think some people are missing the point. It's not because the genre is dead, it's because the current crop of reviewers recognize that the genre was oversaturated at one point & pronounced it dead. It's also the innate cultural differences between today's gaming climate & that of the late 80's & early to mid 90's where 2D gaming was still a culturally expected form of gaming (for all consoles, not just handhelds). The point is, we're fighting a cultural battle on 2 fronts, not just a few ignorant reviewers or stubborn gaming manufacturers.

</rant>

[kccttzj]

People are afraid of a challenge it seems. If you can't waltz through a game in one sitting, then it's too goddamn hard for average Joe Gamer.

That depends on the games. I think the challenge aspect is based on who's playing & what they're used to. I SUCK at FPS games. Absolutely suck. I was decent at Wolfenstein 3D & Doom, okay at Rise of the Triad & Duke Nukem 3D, but anything that came after Quake I just SUCK at. I'm an old school gamer w/ 2D shooters & platformers under my belt, & it's been difficult for me to break that mold. Granted, that didn't stop me from getting good at 3D games (like Spyro or Syphon Filter), but that's not where my strength is.

When you look at the kids today who play these games, they're used to massive 3D worlds & all kinds of stuff to shoot at while having places to duck & cover when they need to reload or pick a weapon or just get a breather. The concept of having to blast through an entire level & only get the 5-10 seconds of breather between levels when it transitions is foreign to most of them because they grew up playing games (other than fighters) that allowed for those kinds of gaps. Any game that either throws it all at you 100% of the time (like a shmup) or is timed (like some platformers) don't allow for that kind of mentality - you have to be on your toes all the time. You'd think that would be the order of the day for today's ADHD-type youth, but apparently not.

Sorry if my rant got a little OT, but I think some people are missing the point. It's not because the genre is dead, it's because the current crop of reviewers recognize that the genre was oversaturated at one point & pronounced it dead. It's also the innate cultural differences between today's gaming climate & that of the late 80's & early to mid 90's where 2D gaming was still a culturally expected form of gaming (for all consoles, not just handhelds). The point is, we're fighting a cultural battle on 2 fronts, not just a few ignorant reviewers or stubborn gaming manufacturers.

</rant>

That same issue of EGM reviews Beatmania and they pretty much trash it. I can't remember most of what they said about it, but the jist of it was that it's "too hard". Most people I know won't play anything they think is hard. Like there's something wrong with the game. I started playing shooters and I sucked (I still do, but not as bad), but that's what kept/keeps me playing. I don't really understand that mentality at all.

That article on Ibara is stupid. Why even mention it at all, except to say, "I bet you've never heard of this game! It's made and played by Japanese people!" Why do all reviews have to reference Ikaruga?

[GaijinPunch]

Zero chance of that happening since Cave cares about the value of its games and won't license stuff out at a rate that could profitably sell for cheap.

Is that Cave's fault that they're too expensive though? The exact same thing can be said from Treasure? Many companies wanted to buy it and release it on the Playstation in the US, but they couldn't make the numbers work for the price they wanted.

[Kiken]

Why do all reviews have to reference Ikaruga?

Because that and Gradius V have become yardsticks for US shmup releases (seeing as how few get released here).

[kccttzj]

Yeah, I know, but it's just so much different. To US gamers they're all the same I guess.

[Ganelon]

Is that Cave's fault that they're too expensive though? The exact same thing can be said from Treasure? Many companies wanted to buy it and release it on the Playstation in the US, but they couldn't make the numbers work for the price they wanted.

Not at all IMO. If they feel that the games they make aren't trash, then why should they treat it like trash? Sucks for American gamers who don't import but I really don't want to see a Cave shooter relegated to an American store's bargain bin off the bat.

As for this feature in EGM, I don't see what everyone's in an uproar about besides the rhetorical title. Where does it condemn the game in any way? And what parts of the article are illogically subjective or incorrect? Yes, getting to the 3rd stage on your first try through the game isn't hard but have you tried 1CC'ing it? This game seems (at least to me) very difficult.

Do you need RoboCop-like reflexes to play the game? Yes.
Are there a ludicrous amount of enemies/bullets onscreen for a good part of the game? Yes.
Can you conquer the game only with practice, memorization, and more practice? Yes.
And will we ever see the game in the US considering people here don't enjoy it? Yes.

The title is admittedly somewhat condescending in that it trivializes the gains made by modern shooters (mostly because the gaming industry and consumers in general demand constant and highly noticeable innovation). This title in effect kills off the purpose of this article in the first place or presents itself in a mocking tone. However, the rest of the article does give a fair, if very simple, glimpse at Ibara. They recognize the difficulty, which can be quite unnerving to the mainstream audience, and quite thankfully didn't complain that the game was too easy since it allowed infinite credits and on-the-spot restarts.

Since there's really nothing negative about the game, just a brief mention of yet another extremely difficult Cave game, I think this article can't do anything but help prospective shooter fans looking for a challenge to get the game. If this article had pictures alongside, that would be even better.

[Stormwatch]

Eww. Mainstream game mags suck. If there is The Escapist , why read anything else?

[Dylan1CC]

Maybe shooters wouldn't be "on life support" if wankers like EGM didn't constantly try to convince people that this is the case. Of course it's easy to diss shooters, as the small companies that do sporadically bring them out in the West don't usually buy adds in EGM. Lots of people want to play shooters (look at Gradius V sales figure), but I can understand if the bad rap they get makes publishers reluctant about it. So the shmuppers just stick to MAME or buy retro instead.

Bold text quoted for truth. It was a decent enough mention, at least whoever wrote it (my guess Mielke or Dudlak) conceeds it takes real skill to play such games. Pretty lame though that the wording is sarcastic (notice how EGM feels it has to go for lame humor/sarcasm in almost every story?) Noobs reading it will be turned off because the context to a novice reads as: "Almost dead genre which only those with perfect memorization skills will get any enjoyment out of." But then again I guess it's an improvement over the previous stance of "There are so many bullets on screen I was forced to milk the unlimited continues." 'Oh no! Not teh Robocopzorz skills!!' Hilarity.

edit: Oh yeah, forgot to add, EGM might also want to inform their readers next time they have a top 100/"retro" article that beating NES Metroid in under 3 hours also takes perfect timing/memorzation! and comparable "robo skills" as well.

[Thunder Force]

Ibara is the latest from developer Cave (maker of Dodonpachi and a lot of other shooters), and as you might expect, it's for those with RoboCop-like reflexes only. "Sounds way too hard to me." Obviously, you lack the discipline and upbringing in Tokyo arcades (again, is supposed to be refering to Japanese game centers here) can provide. Like the infamous Ikaruga (for USA Gamecube console), this game packs an almost ludicrous amount of enemies onscreen, and can only be conquered with practice, memorization, and more practice.

While this is still a weak (p)review in essence, I still prefer this latest "it's too hard because you it requires lots of practice" mainstream review stance compared to the alternative "it's too easy and short because you can credit feed to end in an hour" mainstream review approach we used to see all too often...

At least this way, some readers with "RoboCop-like reflexes" might still rise to the challenge and take a look at the game.

With the (vertical & horizontal side scrolling) shooters genre basically on life support in America, don't expect Ibara anytime soon.

This sentence should have been left out completely though, as others already noted.

[heurhface]

Next person to say "mainstream" gets socked in the earhole.

[Thunder Force]

Next person to say "mainstream" gets socked in the earhole.

Mainstream.

[MSZ]

Next person to say "mainstream" gets socked in the earhole.

Mainstream sucks.

[PsikyoPshumpPshooterP]

MOD EDIT: deleted. you've been warned before. -TF

[LoneSage]

'Robocop skillz' is going to be part of my offline vocabulary for the next few weeks. Haha, man that is horrible...

Cool to see EGM mention Ibara, I haven't read the mag in over a year due to its descent into shit.

[Blade]

THAT'S IT I'M RANTING. GIVE ME ROOM AND DON'T TAKE OFFENSE.


Mainurinestream.

To be perfectly honest, this country is turning into a backwoods hick country as far as I'm concerned. I should know I LIVE HERE. People only play Mario Party and FPS.

There is no challenge anymore. Not even in RPGs. It's all a big movie to people. They censor plotlines because nobody wants to hear the storyline to a shmup...even an epic War Drama like Ikaruga.

They cut things, they use the same logo on two completely different games, they use big explosion artwork to attract people and guns, they use artwork of busty women that isn't featured in the game. They use quotes from magazines and slap them on game boxes as though people want an opinion of the game. They poorly translate stories...they make games that Tate Clockwise and DON'T Tate Counter-clockwise.

They make games that look like they were made with 4 year old kids in mind who'd just assume eat a controller as use it to play games with.

They crank out the SAME SPORTS GAMES EVERY YEAR, WITH THE SAME ANNOUNCERS, GAMEPLAYS, GRAPHICS, WITH ONLY THE STATS SWAPPED OR NAMES ADDED.

All warrior types are uber buff, Ninjas look like they're taking steroids, women look like they have inflateable breasts...

This country needs a Videogame Enema. We need to get rid of those stupid monopolistic soccer moms who keep insisting that the gaming industry's major sales come from 6 year old kids, sports obsessed jocks, and Mario-freaks.

Don't get me wrong. There are games I do like...but lately, everytime I walk into a gamestop to look for a game I would want...I walk out depressed because all the games they have are either american made or something owned directly by nintendo. And we know how strict Nintendo is with it's gamepublishing policy.

If this keeps up I'm moving to Japan for good. Screw the game magazines, I don't even read them anymore. Gamefaqs actually gives more reasonable reviews than some magazines...and that's saying ALOT.

[MSZ]

Cool to see EGM mention Ibara, I haven't read the mag in over a year due to its descent into shit.

I haven't read any American gaming magazines in over a decade.

[Dale]

I totally hate EGM they have such potential with great previews of games and articles on more obscure stuff but they reck it with there bad since of humor that seems to focus on offending hardcore gamers and outcasts.

Not only that but every opinion they give automaticly contra-dicts itself later for example they mention Ibara pointing out a game very few in the U.S know about then say it,s to hard and just space filler for when people can,t play other games(Oh and by the way I doubt prevy to this article they,ve said anything purely good about CVS2 thanks for using it against another good 2-D game a**holes)So why mention something U,S gamers would never play to begin with, so if EGM thinks it,s sub par game why mention it to begin with?

I think they want to seem hardcore but there pretty much ruening it by bashing everything besides classic NES of the 2-D intense genre.

And another thing what kind magazine constantly points out how great madden is at any chance they get when it,s already the best selling video
game series of all time and everyone likes it
TOOLS!!!!

And why read three reviews of a game with three diffrent editors each ether completly hating it or loving it so what is the reader sapost ta get from there reviews anyway.