Dreamcast/Saturn Shmups

I'd like to see a ranking of everyone's favourite Dreamcast and Saturn shmups. I am pretty new to the genre. I always liked them but they were never a favourite so I sorta stopped buying them. Then, last winter I decided to get Mars Matrix because it was on sale. I figured why not. Well, I absolutely fell in love with it. I really enjoyed it. Now, I've gotten Ikaruga as well and words cannot begin to express how much I am enjoying it. I am not that good, I cannot believe some of the scores everyone is posting in the record book, but I am making steady progress and I am proud of my steady improvement so far. :)

Anyway, I plan on buying more schmups for my collection. So, I'd like to see some lists of favourite shmups for Dreamcast and Saturn. I know the likely candidates.. but I an not sure which order to buy them in.

Thanks in advance. :)

Certainly do yourself a favor and pick up DoDonpachi for SS. You will be pleasantly surprised. Good stuff.

Saturn Get!!!

- DDP
- Garegga
- Soukygurentai
- Kingdom Grandprix

Avoid

- Skull Fang
- Metal Black

Of the ones I've played and think are worthy enough to be mentioned:

1. Thunderforce V (SS)
2. Radiant Silvergun (SS)
3. Salamander Deluxe Pack (SS)
4. Ikaruga (DC)
5. GigaWing 2 (DC)
6. Mars Matrix (DC)

Would love to get my hands on some of those Thunderforce Gold packs on SS though. And for the record, I don't really like vertical shooters much :sweat:

Hey:

1. The Game Paradise (SS)
2. Ikaruga (DC)
3. DonPachi (SS)
4. Layer Section (SS)
5. Cotton 2 (SS)
6. Gunbird (SS)
7. Battle Garegga (SS)

Short and sweet. I'll add more later when I think of them...

-Technosphile

Skip DDP for Saturn and get the PSone rev, same with Strikers 1945 II.
As for Dreamcast, Ikaruga is quickly becoming a favorite, followed by Gunbird 2, then Mars Matrix, then Zero Gunner 2. Cannon Spike is more of a novelty, and the rest I don't like.

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I am not that good, I cannot believe some of the scores everyone is posting in the record book

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It's all about practice.

My favorites in order:

Strikers 1945 II (Sat) - I've played the PSX version, but I'd imagine they're the same deal. Not a great looker, poor soundtrack, but highly addictive and easier for a less experienced player.
Zero Gunner 2 (DC) - Amazing shooter with 360 degree rotation and excellent graphics. Also with Strikers on the difficulty scale, hard when it should be.
Thunder Force V (Sat) - I've only played the PSX version, but same deal as Strikers up there, except I heard (again and again) that the Saturn version looks a lot better. Excellent side-scroller and good for a beginner.
Cannon Spike (DC) - Like ZG2, but a bit of an action game as well (still very much a shooter). Excellent game for quick playing sessions.
Gunbird 2 (DC) - Tough as nails, but still very addictive (if you like Psikyo's style, like I do).
Darius Gaiden (Sat)
Galactic Attack (Sat)

I'm not the most experienced Saturn shooter fan, by any stretch. ;) I mainly like Psikyo shooters.

DoDonPachi is a must. It's on the raw side but unbelievably intense.

If you're liking Ikaruga then Radiant Silvergun is a possibility. It has a lot of similiarities (and a lot of differences). It's not nearly as good though, IMO.

Thanks everyone for the info so far. :)

I'd like to get Radiant Silvergun, but I don't have that kinda money so I am going to have to hold off on that for a while....

As for PSX revs. I don't own a PS2 or PSX, I always just borrowed my sisters when I wanted to play a game. I might get a PS2 before long though, there are several games I want... but til then it's DC/Saturn for me.

Finally, I know it takes practice and that's why I am happy I am improving. For a noob I think I'm doing alright and I am sure with practice I'll get there. :)

So...where do I get a copy of DoDonPachi?

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Originally posted by Captain Vegetable
So...where do I get a copy of DoDonPachi?

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Be sure to ask PaCrapps if he has one in stock.

If not, www.wolfgames.com has one.

The DC's entire shooter library is worthy of purchase when you consider how cheap most of the games are by now. Zero Gunner and Ikaruga are the only ones to command full prices right now. Pass on Twinkle Star Sprites DC, just because you will need a friend to fully enjoy it.

For Saturn there's two very cheap and very good US titles: Galatic Attack and Darius Gaiden. Dodonpachi is excellent and easier to find on Saturn than PSone. Shienryu, Hyper Duel, TF V, Soury, and Radiant Silvergun are good titles as well. Avoid Battle Garrega, only for the fact the bullets are impossible to see. *-neo

Is Strikers 1945 for PS a good purchase (the US release)? I think I seen it for $20 or $30.

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Originally posted by neoalphazero
Pass on Twinkle Star Sprites DC, just because you will need a friend to fully enjoy it.

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I like the underlying assumption here that Green has no friends ;) .

As for the topic, I think Gunbird 2 is my favorite shmup on Dreamcast aside from Mars Matrix and Ikaruga. Gigawing 1 and 2 are really cheap, so if you have the extra cash, they may be worth it to check out, although you're probably better off spending your money elsewhere. I do not think Zero Gunner 2 is worth $50, maybe $20. The game is pretty, but I'm a purist, and the spinning around stuff just frustrates me. Twinkle Star Sprites is really fun with 2 players.

Dodonpachi is an absolute must. The PSX one is noticeably better, but the Saturn port isn't that bad. I find myself playing the Saturn version more often because of the Saturn pad. Donpachi is also good if you can find it for cheap. I also like Shienryu a lot. It's pure shooting fun, nothing fancy at all. I love its simplicity, even though it's very derivative of Raiden. You should be able to get it for around $30, and I wouldn't recommend paying over that for it. Layer Section/Galactic Attack is awesome and very cheap (you can find the US one for under $10 i'm sure). In my opinion, Soukyugurentai and Battle Garegga are not worth the high prices they will run you. Soukyugurentai is not THAT expensive, but the game never really clicked with me. I dislike the look of the game, and overall I just find the game very underwhelming. Battle Garegga is just annoying. I know it's cliche to complain about it, but those damn bullets are just too annoying. There's a reason that Cave makes all of the bullets in their games bright colored. The bullets wouldn't be so bad if the shrapnel didn't blend in so much with it. Apparently Raizing was going for a realistic touch with this game. Although something about a single aircraft tearing through thousands of planes and enormous tank/battleships/jets with predictable bullet patterns doesn't seem realistic...

All that and I didn't even touch the horizontal shooters...

I like the underlying assumption here that Green has no friends .

...eh?

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Is Strikers 1945 for PS a good purchase (the US release)? I think I seen it for $20 or $30.

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I have got probably 50+ hours out of it so far (very rough estimate, the bottom line: I've played it a lot), so yes I think it is, but your shooter tastes may be different. It doesn't have the TATE mode, but I got along just fine (obviously). If you want to know more about the game, just ask, but there it is in short.

The tate mode for Strikers was taken out for the US release, right? How does it compare to Gunbird 2?

Yes, the U.S. release.

Strikers is more my speed difficulty-wise (I can nearly take it on a credit, G2 I'd be lucky to clear stage 5), so I end up favoring it a bit. I also like the military theme over the cutesy Gunbird style, but that's me. Other than that they have really similar styles. If you like one, you should like the other.

I'm no good with shooters, so this sounds more up my ally. Ikaruga gives me a heart attack.

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Pass on Twinkle Star Sprites DC, just because you will need a friend to fully enjoy it.

I like the underlying assumption here that Green has no friends ;)

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Thanks for the laugh, I needed that :) neoalpha, where did that come from?

Anyway, yeah, good to see DDP so well recommended.

I haven't spent much time with Ikaruga yet, but my nod still goes with Silvergun. With fewer boss fights, Ikaruga just doesn't seem as epic to me. It's still a hell of a ride, though.

Darius Gaiden and Galactic Attack/Layer Section are both Saturn essentials. Thunder Force V is another good Saturn shmup that can be found cheaply. Soukyugurentai is fantastic, but some people get turned off by the difficulty AI: the game actually gets harder as you get better (same with Battle Garegga and many other Raizing shmups). DoDonPachi is also fantastic, even though it's never really grabbed me.

I don't know why you people are so down on Battle Garegga. If you dislike the invisibullets that much, there's an option to turn them into red balls. Just be thankful Stone isn't around to berate you all.

Radiant Silvergun is a game every shooter fan should play at least once in their lifetime. It may not be your cup of tea -- it's more of a methodical R-Type-ish shooter with manic bullet patterns -- but I guarantee there's no other shooter quite like it. It's sort of the "Citizen Kane" of shmups: it's praised so often that it's almost cliche to pick it as a favorite, but that doesn't mean that it isn't wildly innovative and meticulously designed.

As far as Dreamcast goes, I've liked every shooter I've played for it. Giga Wing 2, Mars Matrix, and Gunbird 2 are all worth getting.

Nothing to add that hasn't already been said, but it's good to see Ikaruga inspiring more enthusiasm and interest in the genre as a whole.

I hate Battle Garegga too. Enemy bullets aside I still think its not all that. I mean fountain pens for bullets? No ta. I would say avoid Kingdom Grandprix too, its awful.

Only get Radiant Silvergun if you don't mind boring slow ass games where you have to have a degree just to figure out how to power up the weapons. Not rewarding to play unless you've put some serious time into it thats if you can stand playing it at all. The hyper sword is one of the best shooter super bomb weapons ever. Alongside the fruit cocktail in HPark.

My favourite shooters on the Saturn are Layer Section and The Game Paradise.

Yeah , I dont understand why people like raizing shooters all that much.
sggg: try out sonic wings 3 its a nice shooter.

Well, I traded away Radiant Silvergun and I miss it every day. :(

Darius Gaiden and Galactic Attack for Saturn are awesome shmups, even more so because they can be bought for a song. I recommend getting them as fast as your little feet can take you to wherever they're being sold.

I just got the PSX rev of Don-Pachi and I'm loving every minute of it. Simple in design but intense as hell. I still can't pass level 4 without continuing and my score is around 2,800,000 but I find myself trying over and over again because it's just so damn much fun. Pacrappa hooked me up with this game (as well as a modded PSone) and I'm going to go back to him for the sequel. I had always wondered what everyone was talking about with the Don-Pachi games, and now I know. They're awesome.

I still haven't been able to give Ikaruga the playtime it deserves (just got it yesterday), but I've loved what I've played so far. Zero Gunner 2, Gunbird 2, both Giga Wings, and Mars Matrix should be in every DC owner's library, along with the soon-to-be-classic Ikaruga. Shame on you if you don't own these great shmups!

Just get the import of DoDonPachi for your Saturn. It will tide you over for as long as you want it to...

Kyuukyoku Tiger II Plus for Saturn is decent helicopter-based shmup. If you ever happen to get into arcade PCBs, get AJAX. :D

Believe no one else: Radiant Silvergun is the best shmup on both systems. :p I've only played about 2 hours of Ikaruga at this point, so I'll leave it out of this. It has been 2 very promising hours though...

instead for ranking every single shmup, I'll break them into groups and rank the groups, group 1 being the best. This is only games I own.

Group 1
Radiant Silvergun
Mars Matrix
Strikers 1945 II

Group 2
Strikers 1945
Gunbird
Gunbird2
Dodonpachi
Zero Gunner 2
Darius Gaiden

Group 3
Galactic Attack
Giga Wing
Souky
Salamander Deluxe Pack

The only shmups I've played (owned, actually) for Saturn: Radiant Silvergun, DonPachi, Galactic Attack, Darius Gaiden, Soukyugurentai (just sold it), and Guardian Force, which I also plan on selling if it continues to disinterest me.

I highly reccomend Radiant Silvergun if you are into the slow, methodical shooter type. If R-Type and Life Force are your cup of tea, then RS is a must-buy. Sure, it's expensive as fuck, but there's no other way to play it (unless you have an ST-V-equipped cab lying around) so it's worth it. You get what you pay for, in this case.

Souky... blegh. I just got rid of it, if that says anything. The ranking engine just rubs me the wrong way. Still, it's a very well-presented piece of software. This one is for hard-core shmuppers only.

DonPachi - great game, rather lousy Saturn port (lots of slowdown, muffled sound effects). I don't have the means to get my PSX modded for its superior version, so I'm keeping this on hand. Great fun, especially in TATE mode (as are all vert shooters).

Galactic Attack - excellent game. Amazing bang for your buck. It's super-cheap and super-fun. Also super-hard. Even with the extra credit cheat, I still can't beat the last boss. Practice makes perfect, I guess.

Darius Gaiden - I've given up on this one. It's so freakin' hard, especially when it possesses that great Gradius rule: once you die, might as well reset the game 'cause you're not getting any farther without those powerups you just lost. Great graphics and control, though. There was also a Windows version released which has virtually no slowdown, unlike the Saturn version.

Guardian Force - quite the innovative game, but the controls kill it. You play as a tank with a fully-rotatable turret. This is a game that should've been bundled with a special controller, for it's quite a chore to control both the movement of the tank and the rotation of the turret using the Saturn pad. Some super-neat weapons, excellent graphics and sound, and a collection-based powerup system (collect gems, get experience pts.) somewhat make up for the control issues, but then again, I've only played the game for a few hours so far...

As for the DC shooters - get them all. The first Giga Wing is definitely my favorite. No slowdown, amazing 2D graphics (without the "ouch! too bright!" factor in Mars Matrix), super-fast gameplay. The import version can be had for $30 at NCS.

It has been said before, & I'll say it again, get DDP! A wonderful shmup that really rewards you the more you play. I have found that this game has acutally improved my overall shmuping skills more than any other.

Oh Boo to all the Garegga naysayers! I love Garegga & I actually play it way more than RSG. It is totally worth the money & I really dig it. The bullets can be hard to see, but if you put more than 30 minutes in at one time, you will totally get used to it. I don't even think about it anymore. I'd reccommend you emulate Garegga on MAME or RAINE to see if it is your type of game, since it can command a high price.

Keep in mind that neither of these games should be played in any mode other than tate. Seriously, it isn't worth it. TATE only!

JM

Another thing about the PSX version of Don-Pachi.

There's the regular TATE mode, and then there's TATE mode but with vertical controls (scrolls horizontally but controls like a vertical shmup). There's also the normal mode with the black bars and Yukio 240x240 (or some such thing) that scrolls vertically but covers almost the entire screen. This is the way I play it because there's no way in hell I'm going to flip a 27' WEGA. Damn thing weighs like 900 lbs.

I love this game and want the PSX sequel, badly.

Does the Saturn version have those options as well?

DoDonPachi, Galactic Attack, and Radiant should be priority for Saturn shooties. Also high up there are Darius Gaiden, Fantasy Zone, Slamander 2, Cotton 2/Boomerang, etc.

On the DC Iky, and MM are the big guns, obviously, but Zero Gunner 2 is very good as well, and Gigawing 2 is good once you get into it. Cannon Spike takes alot of getting used to, but its a quality game.

I never thought the day would come when people diss on Souky...

*points at Omega Flare*


Raizing!!!

Hey:

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Originally posted by OmegaFlareX

DonPachi - great game, rather lousy Saturn port (lots of slowdown, muffled sound effects). I don't have the means to get my PSX modded for its superior version, so I'm keeping this on hand. Great fun, especially in TATE mode (as are all vert shooters).

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I don't know about "lots" of slowdown, the only times I have ever noticed it revolves around using the Stream Bomb. Otherwise, I'd say its slowdown-free and totally kickass. I will concede the muffled sound effects, but I think it makes the explosions sound more brutal and guttural. And the announcer...you've gotta love a slightly garbled

"Thanks for playing this game! Bye!"

-Technosphile

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Originally posted by MrKasualUltra2000
I never thought the day would come when people diss on Souky...

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You and me both, MKUltra2000.

Here's a little Raizing shoutout for you, courtesy of Ruhztee:

http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/pr...eevebanner.gif

Let ass kick together, indeed.

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Originally posted by Technosphile
Hey:


And the announcer...you've gotta love a slightly garbled

"Thanks for playing this game! Bye!"

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I love the title screen...


DON-pachi!! :lol:

I'm shocked no one has mentioned Sengoku Blade for SS (or did I miss it somewhere). This shooter is a gem!!!!!!!

Oh, and if you like a little bizarre shoot fest then give the Time Bokan series a try. They're both quite unique and good at that.

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Originally posted by Technosphile
I don't know about "lots" of slowdown, the only times I have ever noticed it revolves around using the Stream Bomb. Otherwise, I'd say its slowdown-free

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You have managed to beat the level 1 boss, right? As well as the level 2 boss, level 3 boss, and so on. The final explosion graphics take twice as long as they should. There's even slowdown on the bonus screen. Serves me right for emulating it on Raine before I bought the Saturn version.

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Originally posted by MrKasualUltra2000
I never thought the day would come when people diss on Souky...

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*in his best Mr. Horse voice* No sir, I didn't like it. Battle Garegga and Mahou Daisasuken (sp?), on the other hand... great fun, even though I still hate the ranking system.

I also thought Soukyuugurentai was pretty dull... I will never understand the love. (And please don't even bother with the horrible horrible PSX port)

My experince in shooters is mostly limited to the DC, Genesis, and SNES so here's some DC information based on my 3 game library.

You NEED Mars Matrix is you have any interest in shooters whatsoever. It can be had for $15-$20 with ease, and offers countless hours of beatiful vertical shooter gameplay.

Gigawing- everytime I play this game I get a "meh" fealing. It's not terrible by any means, but it isn't something I really enjoy playing.

Gunbird 2- Awesome.......the challenge is insanely high (That's not a bad thing, that's a good thing), the storyline contains sexual inneundos out the wazoo, and the gameplay is typical Psikyo goodness. Add in the extremely low price and you've got yourself a bonafide winner.

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Originally posted by lithium


Thanks for the laugh, I needed that :) neoalpha, where did that come from?

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Opps, no insult to Green I just find it hard to interest friends in shooters. :) . *-neo

Since it hasn't been mentioned, get Batsugun for Saturn. It's simple and overall fairly generic, but it's so very hard that you can't stop playing just out of stubborness. If you want to build up some shmup skills, take this beast on. Plus, the powerups are second to none.

I'll also add another vote for DoDonPachi. Nuts to the PSOne rev, I've played both and there is not enough of a difference to ditch the perfect Saturn d-pad over some pixeled explosions. DDP is still the best shooter in my book, and that's after extensive Ikaruga sessions.

Prikura Daisakusen is also a charming character based isometric shooter of sorts.

DC:
Mars Matrix
Ikaruga
GunBird 2
Giga Wing 2

Saturn:
Thunderforce 5
Radiant Silvergun
Steam Hearts

Enjoy!

I need to get Batsugun asap, now that I'm finally trying to delve into Toaplan. So far all I've got is Kyukyoku Tiger on PCE Hu (no TATE, but otherwise brilliant) and I'm really into it. Matt at Wolfgames has a couple I want but since he refuses to describe game conditions to me I'm done buying from him. Hopefully Batsugun will be great.

cigs - how goes Hani in the Sky?

Sadly, it didn't work. I tried it a bunch of times and eventually gave up. Too bad, I loved the other game. (Hani on the Road)

Awww, well no biggie I guess, since it was free ;)

I never really dug Raizing's style. Souky I didn't play that much of but didn't intrest me, and Battle Garrega was downright awful.

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Originally posted by wEEman33

Gunbird 2- Awesome.......the challenge is insanely high (That's not a bad thing, that's a good thing), the storyline contains sexual inneundos out the wazoo, and the gameplay is typical Psikyo goodness. Add in the extremely low price and you've got yourself a bonafide winner.

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Quite right, weeman! Gunbird 2 is a trial, through and through. Oh, listen to me, going on like it was grade school. Please forgive this Catholic school boy's enthusiasm, but this game gets my highest recommendo. Good bit!

NGEFreek: Of course, I definitely appreciated you sending it.

Thanks everyone for all of the suggestions. I am going to have to use all this information to form a shopping list and then pick up a few. I'll probably go for the cheaper DC games first.... then try to pick up some Saturn imports eventually.

Oh, and btw wEEman33- If you go back to the beginning of the thread, I have Mars Matrix already. That's what got me hooked in the first place. Killer game, that. :)

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Originally posted by Mr_Furious
Prikura Daisakusen is also a charming character based isometric shooter of sorts.

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shmupesque platformer at best, good game though. not as great as that issue of GF made it out to be IMO...

&

sggg ignore all these negative comments in regards to Raizing, their shooters fuckin rock...you can always try Garegga on MAME before going for the Saturn version if in doubt. you can also try out emulated versions of Batrider and Bakraid while your at it.:D

-------------------------------------------


Saturn

another game to avoid::: Gekirindan

another game to look out for::: Shienryu

Saturn
Definitely Get!
*DoDonPachi (For the 2 player mode especially, although the PS version is better if you generally play one-player games of DDP.)
*Layer Section/Galactic Attack
*Darius Gaiden
*Shienryu
*Strikers 1945 II
*Battle Garegga
*Soukyugurentai
*Thunder Force Gold Pack 2
*Parodius DX Pack
*Salamander DX Pack +
*Gradius DX Pack

At Least Consider:
*Metal Black
*Radiant Silvergun
*Darius II
*Strikers 1945 I
*Gun Frontier
*DonPachi (get the PS one first)
*Thunder Force V

Avoid
*Layer Section II (get this on the PlayStation as RayStorm)

Dreamcast Get!
*Ikaruga
*Mars Matrix
*Giga Wing 1 & 2
*Gunbird 2

Don't Get:
*Twinkle Star Sprites (especially if you already have it on any Neo-Geo system or the Saturn)

edit- needed to add Soukyugurentai!

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Originally posted by sggg Oh, and btw wEEman33- If you go back to the beginning of the thread, I have Mars Matrix already. That's what got me hooked in the first place. Killer game, that. :)

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A winner is you! :)

No love for Sengoku Blade?

*wheeps*

no one can afford it.

i got it on MAME, eh.

you mean sengoku ace?

Was Batrider ever released on a console?

Wait, so do Mars Matrix and Gunbrid 2 have TATE mode? Sorry if this has been done before... I'm pretty mucha noob to shmups =P

No and Yes. The former is not a vertical monitor game in the arcades anyway.

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Originally posted by Rooster
Was Batrider ever released on a console?

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Nope. Ditto for Dimahoo (Great Mahou Daisakusen) and Battle Bakraid.

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Originally posted by neoalphazero
The DC's entire shooter library is worthy of purchase when you consider how cheap most of the games are by now. Zero Gunner and Ikaruga are the only ones to command full prices right now. Pass on Twinkle Star Sprites DC, just because you will need a friend to fully enjoy it.

For Saturn there's two very cheap and very good US titles: Galatic Attack and Darius Gaiden. Dodonpachi is excellent and easier to find on Saturn than PSone. Shienryu, Hyper Duel, TF V, Soury, and Radiant Silvergun are good titles as well. Avoid Battle Garrega, only for the fact the bullets are impossible to see. *-neo

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I would avoid Darius Gaiden, unless you can find it for less than $10. I picked up a new copy for $.99, and it was'nt worth more than that to me. I have Darius on the Amiga computer, and the Saturn's version is just a step above it. Darius is more a boss battle shooter, than an all out balls to the walls shooter, like the better ones. Galactic Attack is a personal favorite of mine and comes highly recommended.


All the DC shooters I've played are must own's. I'd even recommend Treasure's Bangai-o, as you can still find a copy for under $20.

That blows. I was hoping for some legit Batrider action. Now, my memory is a little fuzzy on the Daisakusen stuff. Were there three? If I remember right, the second one was called something like Shippu Mahou Daisakusen. Was Great Mahou Daisakusen a different game (as in a third in that series)? And was Kingdom Grand Prix on the Saturn the first of these or the second?

Kingdom Grand Prix was the second in the series (a.k.a. Shippu Mahou Daisakusen). The first was plain ol' Mahou Daisakusen.

You sound like you're a Raizing fan. Good for you! Check out www.raizingfan.net if you haven't already.

So is it true that there's only 10,00 copies of the US release of Bangai-O? I thought that was true a while ago but it's still cheap as hell so I don't see how it's true.

Later all...

Looks pretty good, sleeve. thanks for the info. I'll hve to take a closer look sometime- I'm sort of a closet Raizing fan. And I'll be damned if they didn't mention OVERCLOCKED. Man, it's been a while...

And just to try and stay on topic, I suppose I'll underline everyone else's DC suggestions (I still kick myself in the ass for basically sitting out on the 32 bit era until recently, so I can't offer much on the Saturn). If I had to rank them it would be something like this:

1.Ikaruga
2.Mars Matrix (but you already knew that)
3.Zero Gunner2 (rather original, and something about it just says "quality")
4.Gunbird2 (I use a DC-X to force VGA for tate on this one, looks like ass on a TV)
5.Gigawing2 (you can unlock all the ships from the first one and the level structure isn't that much different IMO so, no, I'm not a graphics whore)
6.Gigawing (worth it just to count how many forms the final boss has)


Although they stray a bit from the classic shooter style, Bangai-o and Cannonspike are both definitely worth it. And stay the hell away from Charge N Blast (kinda like Nam 1975 on the Neo, only it sucks).

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Originally posted by Sidez
No and Yes. The former is not a vertical monitor game in the arcades anyway.

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Ah, thank you. I'm probably picking up Mars Matrix this weekend anyways... Er... More like whatever I can find =)

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Originally posted by xS
you mean sengoku ace?

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No, I mean Sengoku Blade (Ace 2)!

Since everyone seemed to miss this game I feel a public service announcement is in order:

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~bevhome/ACEII04.jpg

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~bevhome/sengbld1.jpg

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~bevhome/seng9.jpg

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~bevhome/ACEII06.jpg

GET SENGOKU BLADE AT ALL COSTS. YOU'LL THANK ME LATER! IT'S ONE OF THE FINEST HORIZONTAL SHOOTERS ON THE SATURN. THAT IS ALL.

you're welcome ;)

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Originally posted by 2D4EVER
So is it true that there's only 10,00 copies of the US release of Bangai-O? I thought that was true a while ago but it's still cheap as hell so I don't see how it's true.

Later all...

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Naw, the Japanese N64 was 10,000 copies only, and people got that number confused with the US DC one. The DC one wasn't a single run. They did an initial, really limited run, and after those sold relatively acceptably they printed some more up about 3 weeks later, and have done a few more pressings since. The game actually made money.

Those screens really, really don't do the game justice.

I don't feel the game is quite on par with Psikyo's other shooters, but the visuals and soundtrack take it over the top. Beautiful game.

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Originally posted by gamevet
All the DC shooters I've played are must own's. I'd even recommend Treasure's Bangai-o, as you can still find a copy for under $20.

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I have Bangai-O!

I didn't really consider it a shmup, as such... seems a little bit off the wall and stuff, but I absolutely adore and love that game. It's brilliant fun. :)

I dont think this game's available on MAME.

I agree with almost everything said already.

I would suggest getting Galactic Attack ASAP. One of the most intense shooters you will ever play. Graphics are very good, but you gotta play in TATE mode to see them. Many of the special effects were removed when they converted it for horizontal displays.

Cotton 2 is very good as well. NOT Cotton Boomrang. Cotton 2. On the box they look very similar, and in a lot of ways they are. But Cotton 2 beats the crap out of Boomrang in every way.

Guardian Force. Here's a game I recomend if you want something different. It's from Success, the makers of the Cotton games, so expect a few similarities in the graphics. Read that as: lots of scaling and rotating sprites. It's a very, very hard game. And it takes a while to really get into. I recomend it because it's a shooter with a unique idea that works well.

Battle Garegga. Waste of money. Nothing really special about it. It is a cookie cutter shooter all the way.

Batsugun. I didn't like this one either. Seems totally unbalanced to me.

Thunder Force 5. Get the Saturn version. The PS game sucks by comparison.

Also get the TF Gold pack with TF4. IMO, TF4 is a game from the gods.

Avoid Blast Wind. Yes, it's from Technosoft. But it's a port of an old arcade game that they didn't even make. The bosses are really cool, but the actual levels are lame, lame, lame.

Ikaruga is a must. Not the best shooter, but it has a depth to the scoring system that makes it worthy.

Zero Gunner 2 is also a must. My favorite DC shooter so far.

Get Radient Silvergun. Why? Boss fights! And lots of them. You will not ever find more or better bosses in any scrolling shooter game. I truely believe this game to be one of the best, if not the best, shooters ever. I didn't have to pay an arm and a leg for it though.
Avoid the arcade version. RS on Saturn let's you save and carry over your powered up weapons everytime you finish a game. You cannot do this on the arcade version. Why would you want to do this? Because it is this feature that allows you to play RS any way you want to. Slow like R-Type, or kill everything as soon as it appears on screen.

Treasure should remake this game on another system.

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Originally posted by Mode7
Those screens really, really don't do the game justice.

I don't feel the game is quite on par with Psikyo's other shooters, but the visuals and soundtrack take it over the top. Beautiful game.

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I know but that's all I can find, searching the internet :( It really must be seen in motion to truly be appreciated.

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~bevhome/sengbld1.jpg
Good lord... that is like some kind of mechanical wolf :D

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Originally posted by Werewolf
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~bevhome/sengbld1.jpg
Good lord... that is like some kind of mechanical wolf :D

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Maybe it's a large eating machine that just sucked down a wolf ass first?

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It really must be seen in motion to truly be appreciated.

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It needs to be played to truly be appreciated. But a step in the right direction:

Sengoku Blade Video

One of four randomly selected stages, as per Psikyo standards. Sound is out of sync. Note how Marion runs across the ground once she touches down. Cute.

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Originally posted by JefmcC
Ikaruga is a must. Not the best shooter, but it has a depth to the scoring system that makes it worthy.

Get Radient Silvergun. Why? Boss fights! And lots of them. You will not ever find more or better bosses in any scrolling shooter game. I truely believe this game to be one of the best, if not the best, shooters ever.

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Interesting, my opinion on these two is pretty much flipped. I think RS is way too imbalanced as far as boss fights go, some sections between bosses are practically pointless.

I also feel RS's weapon system is complex for the sake of complexity. Rarely do I feel it really contributes to the game.

Not that RS is a bad game by any means.

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Good lord... that is like some kind of mechanical wolf

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Who's apparently paralyzed and riding a huge robotic wheelchair. Interesting :)

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Originally posted by JefmcC


Maybe it's a large eating machine that just sucked down a wolf ass first?

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Hey, that's not funny... poor wolf :(