Oh help me! I want Radiant Silvergun :cries:

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 9:50 pm

this isn't a request for a copy by the way. i just want some opinions of the playability of this game. it looks really interesting (and fun), but is it really worth it? is it accessible, or will i learn to like it?

general idea of my tastes (i.e. favorites): include Salamander, Gradius Gaiden, Gunbird 2, DDOJ, Layer Section (even though it handed me my ass today), Harmful Park (even though it hands me my ass every day)

NOTE: i'll add questions as I think of them. after all this a lot of money to spend.

99pence · Post by **99pence** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:05 pm

You're gonna hate it and wish you'd never taken up videogames.

Take up a new hobby. Like cake decorating. I heard that is awesome.

jp · Post by jp » Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:08 pm

Radiant Silvergun takes a bit to get used to, but I swear to you its the mad shit. IMO its the most well made shmup ever.

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:12 pm

99pence wrote:You're gonna hate it and wish you'd never taken up videogames.

Take up a new hobby. Like cake decorating. I heard that is awesome.

i have no idea if you are being serious or not so i come prepared for both possibilities.

sarcasm: screw you man!

i am trying to ask a serious question and all you can contribute is some sarcastic crap! what is your problem? people like you wear ugly shoes!

actual opinion: thanks so much for the post. its nice to hear your opinion. oh yeah, and cake decorating is the shit! <flashes "The Horns">

EDIT: thanks go to you jp. i'll probably buy it, at least to have the experience.

99pence · Post by **99pence** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:16 pm

This threads obviously going to get loads of posts half saying its good half saying its crap and not one of them is going to know if you'll like it or not.

Just posting this thread shows you want it so all you can do is buy it and find out or not buy it and never know.

It's as simple as that.

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:20 pm

99pence wrote: Just posting this thread shows you want it so all you can do is buy it and find out or not buy it and never know. Its. as. simple. as. that.

how do you know i want it? yeah your probably right. i sometimes don't consider things.

at me.

CMoon · Post by **CMoon** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:21 pm

Well here goes. You should definitely buy RSG. It is absolutely worth it. Production values are 10/10, game play is 10/10, gameplay is 10/10.

So why the controversy? RSG and Ikaruga don't feel like traditional shooters and lack the visceral rush of games like Battle Garrega. They aren't impulsive, but calculated and deep. The absolutely belong in your collection, but as much as they are 10/10 shmups, they are not my favorite shmups. Many lesser games feel more readily accessible and fun. Nonetheless, I'd feel naked without RSG and Ikaruga in my collection--they are absolutely essential to anyone who is serious about shmups.

U K Narayan · Post by **U K Narayan** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:23 pm

Whoa man, he insulted your shoes, I would eat his children for that.

As for RSG; initially, it's tough as nails, but it's easy to get used to everything if you're dedicated to doing well in it. . . Once you have everything down though. . . Well, there isn't much to do after that.

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:24 pm

U K Narayan wrote:Whoa man, he insulted your shoes, I would eat his children for that.

NOOO! not my illegitimate children in Texas! NOOO!

Neon · Post by **Neon** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:29 pm

Buy it, play it, see if you love it. If you despise it, it wouldn't be hard to re-sell.

I probably wouldn't get it even if it was cheap.

SPACE HARRIER · Post by **SPACE HARRIER** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:32 pm

Since i own one

I really can say;

RADIANT SILVERGUN RULES THE GALAXY!!!

ps..I have 14 hidden dogs found !!

)> = = = = = = =

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:39 pm

Er, lemme have a crack at it...

In my opinion Silvergun is excellent, but don't expect absolute perfection or else you'll come off disappointed, especially after dropping such a huge load of cash on it. As far as graphics and sound are concerned I think both are great, so there's not much to worry about there; some areas are fairly "typical" looking (though high quality nonetheless), but the game also has several unique and nifty visual tricks up its sleeve. Sound is clasical/orchestral-ish, so it depends partially on whether you like that style or not, but if you don't mind it you should be happy with it.

Gameplay-wise, getting used to having to use 7 buttons takes a bit of time, but even I as an unskilled player can say it wasn't nearly as much of a problem as I thought it might be, if you stick with it a bit. Control is very precise and so is the hit detection, though some might think that the ship moves a bit too slow, and I might agree to some extent, since in a few areas where you need to move all the way across the screen to survive you'll need to react very quickly to make it. Speaking of which, one "miscellaneous" aspect of the game that I like is its "You expect me to do WHAT?" factor: Ikaruga does this to a lesser extent, but RSG loves to plant your ship in all manner of insidious places, where you need to perform some rather unorthodox maneuvers to dodge the bullets and come out alive: of course, having a sword to absorb some of them helps.

The "chaining" score system is a tough one to get the hang of, but as I mentioned on my "accessibility" topic a short while ago, Silvergun also offers more "traditional" ways of increasing your score (dismantling bosses, of which there are many) and a few other odd ways, which are easier to tackle (weapon bonuses, merry dogs), so you're not "stuck to one thing" as you are in Ikaruga. There are 5 difficulty levels to try out, and you can give yourself up to 10 lives per credit if you just want to get farther and see new stuff (though you can eventually unlock a stage select, as well as a "slow mode" for practice). The game is quite long, especially in Saturn mode, but the latter allows you to save your weapon levels for the next time you start over, to make the trip easier.

As for flaws, some people dislike the game's lengthiness, "boss fest" setup, and restrictive chaining system (even moreso than Ikaruga's), and I can understand why that is, but seeing as the game has so much else going for it, and also makes many provisions to remain accessible along with extremely challenging, I personally recommend it, especially if you can find it at a fair price (if you can nab it for around 100$ even, by all means snag it). Hopefully that covers most of the important things...

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:40 pm

Honestly, Captain Ahar, RSG is perhaps the best game I have ever played. I'm not crazy about the anime characters, but everything else about the game is unbelievable. It is my favorite game in terms of BOTH its look AND its gameplay. The variety of attacks, learning which attacks go best against which bosses, that freaking awesome orangish-reddish 2D part... It leaves me speechless...

Ganelon · Post by **Ganelon** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:44 pm

It's not easy knowing which weapon to use, which is why I like games like Sol-Feace where you just press 1 shoot button. BTW, the anime scenes aren't nearly as cool as everybody makes them out to be.

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:46 pm

money is not really an issue (sort of). after all, I did pay $110 for ZanacXZanac...

(waits to get punched in the face) just kidding! anyway, at this point i will definitely be picking it up (eventually). feel free to continue with the opinions so i can get a better idea of what to expect.

Frogacuda · Post by **Frogacuda** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:56 pm

CMoon wrote:Well here goes. You should definitely buy RSG. It is absolutely worth it. Production values are 10/10, game play is 10/10, gameplay is 10/10.

So why the controversy? RSG and Ikaruga don't feel like traditional shooters and lack the visceral rush of games like Battle Garrega. They aren't impulsive, but calculated and deep. The absolutely belong in your collection, but as much as they are 10/10 shmups, they are not my favorite shmups. Many lesser games feel more readily accessible and fun. Nonetheless, I'd feel naked without RSG and Ikaruga in my collection--they are absolutely essential to anyone who is serious about shmups.

This is exactly right. RSG is not modeled after the newer schools of shooter design practiced by Cave, Psikyo, and Raizing. Rather it a disciple of the old Irem style, but taken in its own direction. Like Image Fight, R-Type, and X-Multiply it's slow, methodical, demands memorization, and is hard as a bitch.

But RSG is probably the ultimate evolution of this style. The weapon system is extremely flexible, allowing for alot of experimentation in finding the best ways through levels, and biggest point payoffs. There's an insane amount of depth and strategy and this is what Treasure chose to focus on rather than raw twich. It's not going to give you that same rush as Mars Matrix or Dai Ou Jou, but it was never meant to.

Post by **system11** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 11:15 pm

Hard as a bitch?

RSG is childs play compared to a lot of new and old games - until you reach the final boss.

Then it's time to die.

Specineff · Post by **Specineff** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 11:40 pm

It's just too demanding. Chain in the right order, move to the right place at the right time. Don't level up, and you're arse is going to get raped. I'd dread to think of Gunstar Heroes like that. I don't hate the game. I just hate the way it hands my behind and my head back to me, on a silver plate.

And to think I was able to finish Contra on the NES using the humble pea shooter.

Frogacuda · Post by **Frogacuda** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 12:00 am

bloodflowers wrote:Hard as a bitch?

RSG is childs play compared to a lot of new and old games - until you reach the final boss.

Then it's time to die.

You must be kidding. Maybe after you've leveled up and praticed and such, but when you're first starting? Pshaw.

Irem games are like that too. They're very intimidating at first, but they don't really require a ton of coordination, just practice. Like X-Multiply is one of the few shmups I can 1-up, but when you first start playing you won't get far.

tehkao · Post by **tehkao** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 12:04 am

I think RSG is a fantastic game, but it has such a high and demanding learning curve that I gave up on it without getting very far. I kept getting raped in just the first stage and could never figure out why. I just wish there was a "kiddie" mode for lesser shmup players like me.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 12:13 am

"Very easy" mode is at least fairly manageable, especially if you're replaying on Saturn mode. Definitely no "monkey" though.

OmegaFlareX · Post by **OmegaFlareX** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 12:14 am

RSG is legendary stuff. It's awesome for what it is. Bottom line, if you like shmups, you need to play this. It might not be the be-all end-all of videogames to you, but it's definitely worth playing. Too bad the price just happens to be crazy.

nullstar · Post by **nullstar** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 1:05 am

RSG is a must-play for any serious shmupper -- it's beautifully crafted. But I don't find it real enjoyable to play. Your success in the game is tied directly to your score, which -- after the first few areas -- is basically based on your chaining. And if I wanted to chain in order to progress in a game, I'd buy a puzzler, not a shmup. (And if it wasn't so overvalued, I'd probably hang on to my copy.) Still, a great game and you owe it to yourself to play it.

Neon wrote:I probably wouldn't get it even if it was cheap.

I can vouch for that. ;)

sven666 · Post by **sven666** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 1:40 am

captain ahar wrote:this isn't a request for a copy by the way. i just want some opinions of the playability of this game. it looks really interesting (and fun), but is it really worth it? is it accessible, or will i learn to like it?

.

just buy it ffs and find out!

if you spend $100 youll get $100 back when you sell it.

$100 isnt that much money anyways (unless youre a bum), money comes and money goes.

Neon · Post by **Neon** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 3:12 am

I can vouch for that.

pure pwnage

Post by **Shatterhand** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 3:29 am

Well..

O think Radiant Silvergun is the shmup with most attention to design ever. It's incredibly well desgined, the bosses are fantastic, the levels are great, it's really awesome.

But, like it has been said before.. it's TOO fucking demanding. TOO MUCH. Expect to play like 20 hours to be able to 1life the FIRST level...

I HATE how you have to chain to have a good weapon.

Chain in the right order, move to the right place at the right time. Don't level up, and you're arse is going to get raped

That sums up the game very well. It's get a chore to play too quickly...

In Saturn mode, I got up to the 3rd stage in a single credit (Can't remember the order of the levels now)... but I just can't get arsed to play it anymore. I never feel excited while playing, it's more like a boring job where you have to keep doing the same thing over and over...

So, is it a bad game? No , it's not... it's a beatiful game to watch and every shmupper should play it at lease once in his life. But is it an enjoyable game? I really don't think so. It's one of the very few shmups I have (Well, it's a copy, but whatever

) that just keep on getting dust, as I NEVER get the will to play it.

Herr Schatten · Post by **Herr Schatten** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 8:48 am

Specineff, Nullstar and Shatterhand pretty much summed up my feelings towards RSG. Additionally, I remember something Shatterhand told me once when we were talking via icq, that hit the nail right on the head: "RSG is just too full of itself."

And that's exactly what it is. For lack of a better word I'd call it over-ambtious. The Treasure guys obviously had lots of cool ideas on how to take on the shmup genre - and then they crammed all of them into one poor little game. When I play it, I always find myself admiring how much thought went into it, but I never find myself having much fun.

And I seem to be the only one who doesn't think very highly of RSG's visuals. The three styles (hand-drawn 2D art, polygons, anime style) just don't fit together. The FMVs are nice and the 2D art ist excellently painted (though slightly generic in places), but the low-poly 3D bosses look totally out of place. It's like you shoot your way through a nice-looking stage only to fight a bunch of shoe cartons at the end. And the music - it's nice, but I don't like that it doesn't switch very often. It just feels wrong if you fight a boss and the normal stage music keeps on playing.

Now, I'd really like to see Treasure making a proper puzzle game. That would probably rule.

Imhotep · Post by **Imhotep** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 12:49 pm

I don't like RSG, although it seems to be well-crafted.

It feels really awkward if a whole level consists of changing lines of enemies, not aggressive, but of different colour, and the game wants you to memorize where they appear and in what sequence to take them out. I mean, the game asks you so bluntly to memorize it's shit, I really feel like the designer's making fun of my time to spare.

I agree that modern shmupping never banned memorization from being it's central mechanic, but then again, I don't think it was its concern.
But the companies developing the "manic" shmups managed to make the process of memorization much smoother.
At this point, RSG feels like stone age again.

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 12:49 pm

Shatterhand wrote: But, like it has been said before.. it's TOO fucking demanding. TOO MUCH. Expect to play like 20 hours to be able to 1life the FIRST level...

I HATE how you have to chain to have a good weapon.

Chain in the right order, move to the right place at the right time. Don't level up, and you're arse is going to get raped
That sums up the game very well. It's get a chore to play too quickly...

These are interesting points, but I'm not sure I agree. First, my Saturn let's me save my weapon upgrade for the next time I play. This makes it fun to go back to the first level and just blow your way through it. Second, the point about its being too demanding: I'm just not convinced that this is fair. I mean, is it really different from, say, Gradius V in this respect? I find R-Type Final MUCH more of a chore.

I love the suggestion that Treasure do a straight-up puzzle game! Kick ass idea, Herr Schatten.

MadSteelDarkness · Post by **MadSteelDarkness** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 3:21 pm

Most everyone's comments about RSG are pretty spot on. It is a tough, demanding game, but well worth the effort. After the first time I played RSG, my face was numb from the endorphin rush for thirty minutes.

captain ahar wrote:
U K Narayan wrote:Whoa man, he insulted your shoes, I would eat his children for that.
NOOO! not my illegitimate children in Texas! NOOO!

*sniff* ...papa...?

shmups.system11.org

Oh help me! I want Radiant Silvergun :cries:

Oh help me! I want Radiant Silvergun :cries:

Re: Oh help me! I want Radiant Silvergun :cries: