@“◉◉maru”#p148752 this is wild.
@"Neko"#p148763 i never noticed as a kid, but they do have that bottom shelf cereal bag vibe. i did have jazz jackrabbit and duke 2, which might explain why i was oblivious, to your point. other than my game boy, i had to go to friend's houses to play mario and sonic.
discovering stg's (and other, whole genres) via shareware discs was a neat experience
@“tomjonjon”#p148793 Ikaruga should have a tactics remake.
The developer of NeverAwake gave a presentation on making the game at Indie Developers Conference last month, which covered the process of making the game in ~ 18 months with virtually no Unity experience and primarily on their own—I ran it down here if you're interested: https://cohost.org/gosokkyu/post/4199749-the-making-of-never-a
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@“[deleted]”#p148281 zakichi’s Compile-esque freeware vertical game ZAKESTA is getting a commercial expansion, ZAKESTA-Z, on January 20: in addition to general tweaks and system changes, it’ll offer a new higher-difficulty mode with aggressive rank and new scoring systems, as well as an ultra-hard max-rank mode: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2695830/ZAKESTAZ/
Out now, go play the free version if you want a taste: https://zakichi.itch.io/zakesta
This week‘s Arcade Archives game: Tecmo’s Silkworn, a hori STG with the gimmick that P1 controls a helicopter and P2 controls a jeep—this game had more longevity on European computers, both as a consequence of its many well-received ports but also via The Sales Curve ripping off the gimmick for their own legally-distinct series, SWIV.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2Y4At5a768
Outside, the creator of the recently-released Like Dreamer and Cosmo Dreamer, has shared a demo of their next work, REDNEG ALLSTARS SWING-BY EDITION, a commercial remake of the most recent game in their freeware series REDNEG:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2645180/REDNEG_ALLSTARS_SWINGBY_EDITION/
Harpoon Shooter Nozomi, the cutesy harpoon-gimmick hori that hit Steam a few months back, came out on Switch today ([will be out within ~24hrs globally](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/harpoon-shooter-nozomi-switch/))—the PC version had some technical issues but it's an interesting casual-friendly game, and I presume the Switch port's fine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4LIkTSHDTQ
This came out on the JP Switch eShop last week: an out-of-nowhere port of[the first (and currently only) episode of Ututukaze Shoujo](https://store-jp.nintendo.com/list/software/70010000074777.html), a Touhou-ish doujin game that's kinda-sorta about idols, and not super difficult.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SinFjUjD1gw
The third batch of Bitwave's Toaplan arcade ports is out on Steam: Tiger Heli, Fixeight, Vimana and Batsugun (with Batsugun Special):
https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/38350/Toaplan_Arcade_Shootem_Ups_3/
Their previous batches of ports have all launched with glaring technical issues that never quite get fixed and I imagine these will be no different, but you tell me.
I just 1CC’d Crimzon Clover >!on novice difficulty!< !!! My first-ever 1CC.
I think once I clear it again with the remaining ~~two~~_Ginga Force_ and _Natsuki Chronicles_ on sale last month, so maybe one of those.
So I wanted to write about what my first shmup was but could not remember what it was until looking at some roms for the saturn. My next door neighbor‘s dad had a cab at the bottom of the stairs leading to the basement with a standard fighter plane shmup that I was just totally in love with. My friend and I would just try and clear the first two levels over and over again, until eventually the coin slot or something else wouldn’t allow you to put credits into it. His Dad never fixed it, but I would go back, plug it in, and watch the demo screen just hoping to play it again. All of this is to say, it‘s not the most exciting shooter, has really terrible sound, and very limited gameplay, but it was my first shooter. Let me introduce you to Capcom and Midway’s 1942.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em7UwOOBvlA
@“Bbtone”#p152571 Way to go! Crimzon Clover is such a great 1CC! I‘ve heard that the arrange modes on there are also a really good step up to move from Novice play to the normal or arcade difficulty (I can’t remember what they call it).
This week‘s Arcade Archives game: Master of Weapon, a sci-fi vertical STG by Taito with a Xevious-style shot/ground bomb system, which you may know by its (not very good) JP-only Mega Drive conversion. This game was somewhat famously demoed a “YUKIWO” and sported an extremely Akira-esque title screen/logo and a player-ship modeled after the Akira bike, and people wondered if that version might be included here… it wasn’t, but you can change to the bike using a dipswitch. (They also added a bullet deflicker toggle, which you definitely should turn on and leave on.)
Pixel Co. Ltd's Famicom-style vertical STG Xelan Force is out now on Steam, and will be available on Switch on February 29: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2690610/XELAN_FORCE Pixel's CEO bashed this out in a few months to sell at a certain retro con, and then fleshed it out a little more for commercial release.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZzzlfFChfw
Henteko Doujin's bringing the "Game Buddy" series of Game Boy-style Pixel Game Maker MV games to Steam in early March: https://store.steampowered.com/developer/hendj/list/118725 These games were made by veteran doujin dev RETSUZAN and released on Switch over the last year or two, and there are a couple STG in there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rRYDsWey1M&pp=ygUHdmVyemV1cw%3D%3D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkqM_TK5IDg
The global physical versions of the recent Triggerheart Exelica Switch port are up for order: Video Games Plus is handling them in NA & Red Art Games is handling them in Europe, and it seems most of the variants are EU-exclusive:
https://videogamesplus.ca/search?type=article%2Cpage%2Cproduct&q=Triggerheart*+EXELICA*
https://www.redartgames.com/search?controller=search&s=Triggerheart+EXELICA
@“[unknown]”#p152571 Hey neat, Crimzon Clover was my first 1CC too. It was a real rush to clear it on a plane while listening to Boredoms' Vision Creation Newsun, an album that, admittedly, could make doing anything feel like a religious experience.
For no particular reason, I haven't seriously played another since, but I have kept an eye out for more STGs that draw on the (let's say) _deeply_ psychedelic side of the genre aesthetic. _Eschatos_ has this decidedly weird sci-fi thing going on that I can't quite explain, but it gets me. And there's games full of freaky insect/plant-creatures, like _Mushihimesama_ and _Space Moth_. (Also, incidentally, [the case could be made that _Space Invaders's_ viral popularity was a mass psychotraumatic event](http://readthis.wtf/writing/insert-coins-for-toshihiro-nishikado/), and that its sinister sub-bass pulse will persist forever in our helpless lizard brains.)
@"[unknown]"#p153019 _Xelan Force_ looks pretty dang good. And yes I clapped when I saw the cool bug boss.
@“tuxedomonk”#p153106 oh man, if you want psychedelic, Darius Gaiden might be up your alley.
or Metal Black!
@“Karasu”#p153232 I’ve been meaning to check that out for a while. What system is it on?
Seconding Metal Black that game is all vibes. That whole era of early 90s horis is pretty groovy tbh
@“Antho”#p153235 your reply link isn‘t working for me but if you’re asking about Metal Black it's on Switch and PS4 through the Arcade Archives
@“tuxedomonk”#p153106 I‘m real late, but aside from (always) emphatically backing Metal Black and Darius Gaiden, don’t sleep on Xexex for psychedelia. It also has an Arcade Archives release (as “Orius” if you're in North America)
I keep deba
@"tokucowboy"#p153989 definitely going to check that out. Those arcade archives have been a real gift that keeps on giving.
Been playing more Demon Throttle recently. I’m enjoying it now that the dodging and jump rhythms are settling in — I'm able to finish the second level somewhat consistently now.
There's nothing more soul crushing than dying and having to swap to the other underleveled character that you've neglected — been trying to balance their use a bit more as I learn their strengths.
I really like the swap mechanic, but I REALLY wish there were some more control options for button layout. Mapping the swap on one of the shoulder buttons would've been really nice.
@“safety_lite”#p154771 Remember that you can reprogram buttons on the hardware level with the Switch! Not sure if that helps with this particular game, but it might…!
@“whatsarobot”#p154773 Oh right! I’ve yet to do that.
Thanks for the reminder. : )