Question about import PS2 shooters.

[Crafter]

Hi, TNL. As I mentioned in the Sega Saturn thread, I just purchased a Saturn with a few import shooters. Playing Dodonpachi inspired me to research an import PS2.

For those of you who own or have played shmups on import PS2--including Mushihime, Ibara, Dodonpachi DOJ, ESP Galuda, and others--do you find it worthy of investment? For the record, I'm a huge Cave fan, but my wallet is not thick enough to seek out genuine PCBs. I also love the mighty Radiant Silvergun and the Layer Section series. And Raizing. Damn it.

I've been to the lovely shmups.com, but their reviews section is lacking, and most thread topics involve the newest arcade releases.

Are there other shmup or non-shmups PS2 imports worth owning?

Excuse the noob questions, and thanks in advance.

(And for the record, I did a thread search that was helpful insofar as it revealed Yoshi's TATE mode shooter thread, but I couldn't locate anything focusing solely on the JP PS2)

[Tain]

If you like DoDonPachi, modifying your PS2 is probably worth it.

Why would you buy a whole new PS2? Or do you not already own one?

[mannerbot]

Yes. Shmups.com has a search function by the way.

[Crafter]

Damn it. Okay, I'll go a-searchin'. But I'm still interested in the general consensus here.

[Gooch]

Mushihime, Ibara, Dodonpachi DOJ, ESP Galuda

That's all you need. Maybe Psyvariar Complete also since it should be cheap, and then a shit ton of PS shooters, including Dondonpachi itself.

[Compass]

I've actually been playing a lot of Mushi, DDP DOJ, and Ibara recently at work where we have light, easily tate-able LCDs (I only have heavy CRTs at home).

Very fun stuff. DDP makes me feel like such a bad-ass with its miniscule hitbox, and spot-on control. When I get lucky and make it through a level without being hit, I save it in the replay mode, and then watch it while making believe I meant to pull off all the death-defying near misses.

[Tain]

If you're looking for impressions, Espgaluda is probably my favorite shooter. It's also probably the easiest Cave game, so my opinion might change in the distant future or whatever. Wonderful port, too.

I haven't played nearly as much of the other Cave titles. General consensus on Daioujou is that it's wonderful yet stupid hard. Ibara is more of a Raizing game than a Cave game, so be sure you're fine with rank management. Never play it outside of TATE, either; this game is such a huge hard-to-see mess in Yoko.

Mushihime has the most lol-tiny hitboxes ever. Enemies puke pink all over your craft and it does nothing when you swear you should've been hit. That's not to say it's easy, of course.

There are apparently some pretty good Psikyo collections worth looking into, Homura's pretty cool, and there are multiplatform/domestically released games (Shikigami, Psyvariar, etc.), too.

[Crafter]

Thanks, Tain. Just what I needed.

[Crafter]

One more noob question, actually: Any recommendations for good TATE-able LCD HDTV's?

[mannerbot]

Uhm, any of them. But you shouldn't be getting HD for shmups. HD is pretty much the opposite direction since you would ideally be getting a low-res RGB monitor for them.