Picked up Zone of Enders Second Runner the other day, the PAL version sells at a real premium so I was pleased to pick it up for £12 from an Amazon seller. I was really surprised when it turned up at my house on Friday brand new and sealed!!

I'm a huge fan of the original and this seems to be much less linear than it's predecessor

Anyway I think the artwork on this version is brilliant and I've heard great things about the game too.

Arcade Cabs Spotted at Leeds Royal Armouries

I was shocked and presently surprised to see this set of arcade cabs in Leeds Royal Armouries. It's been years since I saw an arcade machine in Leeds centre and finding examples of Ghosts 'n' Goblins and 1942 were especially welcome because they were childhood friends. The best thing is that the Armouries are 10 mins walk from work! Pumped a few credits into 1942 and it was so much fun even though I don't remember the game being so tough!

Cabinets pictured left to right: Ghosts 'n' Goblins, 1942, Street Fighter II, Samurai Showdown.

Under Defeat HD - New Update

I wrote last month about the recent announcement from G.Rev about a port of Under Defeat on the PS3/360 early next year.

http://gmintyfresh.blogspot.com/2011/10/under-defeat-hd-ps3360.htm

More details about the release emerged yesterday:

G.rev is pleased to announce Under Defeat HD for the XBox 360 & PS3!!

Under Defeat HD
Platform: XBox 360, PS3
Release Date: Spring 2011
Genre: Vertical-scrolling shoot'em up
Price: Regular Edition - 5,600 yen (5,880 yen, tax included)
Limited Edition - 7,980 yen (8,379 yen, tax included)
Limited Edition includes the official strategy DVD and soundtrack (CD) + special packaging

Classic helicopter shoot'em up Under Defeat storms to gaming front lines in 2012. First released in 2005 for arcades, the later Dreamcast version has since become a premium item. G.rev has been very thankful for the high level of demand from fans to bring the game to a next gen console, and we are pleased to present details on the XBox 360 & PS3 ports.

■ Destructive Realism
Rumbling tank suspensions. Explosions and flumes of smoke. Trees blown back with the blasts.
Under Defeat pushed to the limits of the Dreamcast's graphics quality, presenting the battlefield in full 3D with realistic detail. Though the gameplay stays true to the simplicity of a traditional 2D-shooter, Under Defeat's expressionism allows gamers to indulge in the pleasure of blowing digital things up.

■ All new Remix Mode
Under Defeat HD is not just a port of the original title. In addition to the arcade version, the all new Remix Mode (temporary name) makes full use of 16:9 televisions. More details to come, so stay tuned.

■ Limited Reproduction Edition
UD HD will be available in regular and limited edition versions.
The limited edition includes:
1) Kami ・ Strategy DVD*. Video of expert game play and HOW TO tutorial for the arcade version
2) NEW ORDER Soundtrack (temporary title). Rising game music composer Yosuke Yasui of Super Sweep, who worked on titles such as Mamoru-kun is Cursed! and Eschatos, brings his talent to make a renewed Under Defeat soundtrack!
3) Plus! Special Limited Edition box featuring an original illustration by character designer Nanashiki Yamamoto

Fans will also be happy to hear that the game package design of the limited edition will be based on the original Dreamcast limited edition design!

■ More news to come!
We will be back in a few days with more details on the limited edition, Remix Mode and more!!

*The Kami ・ Strategy DVD includes re-edited footage used in INH's INSANITY DVD THE SOLDIER OF FORTUNE "UNDER DEFEAT" (published by TEAM ENTERTAINMENT, April 2011).

Games I'm Playing Today - 09/11/2011

I'm currently switching between the following games:

Darksiders - PS3, Such an underrated game I love my slash em ups and this is a classic. I like the building of the character in this one with each power up there is a sense your character is becoming more god-like. Interesting graphical style too.

GT5 - PS3, Picked up the collectors edition last week and I'm completely blown away by the sheer amount of cars and how many events there are to take place in. Seems to be a bit more accessible than some of the previous incarnations too. One of the worst install times I've ever seen though, pathetic

Radient Silvergun HD - Still stunnning! Treasure must be applauded for the qulaity of the port, there's a lot of game here for 1200 points. I love the inclusion of the Saturn version is here in all it's greatness as well as the stripped down arcade port. The enhanced graphics in the arcade version look stunning too. Makes me want Treasure to release that original 360 shooter they started working on - Project RS3.

Sturmwind Limited Edition Confirmed!

Confirmation today that the Limited Edition of Sturmwind does indeed exist and is available to buy on the Redspotgames internet site, it looks lovely.

Oh yes and of course I've ordered this!!

Standard Edition - Pictured Above

Limited Edition




http://www.redspotgames.com/shop/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=34

http://www.redspotgames.com/

New 360 Shmup Pickup!!

Just picked up a Limited Edition that I thought I'd never get due to the fact copies of the game just don't crop up that often - Senko No Ronde Rev. X

I'll post photos when it arrives!

Under Defeat HD - PS3/360?

Rumours have surfaced again that this amazing G.Rev shooter is going to be released, presumably on PSN/XBL:

http://www.siliconera.com/2011/10/25/under-defeat-hd-means-one-more-shooter-for-ps3/
This story first circulated about 4 or 5 months ago but the inclusion of a potential release date and G.Rev's recent slightly cryptic facebook posts makes me think there might be some truth to this.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Grev-Ltd/194052213944305

There's a thread up on System 11 too with a bit more info

Ikaruga the Model Kit Part 2

The black version of the Ikaruga model kit (Hitekkai) was released today, I'll put some photos up when my copy arrives. Again like the white version there's some lovely original artwork on the outer box.

Gunlord - New Neo Geo/DC Game

Gunlord the latest game from NG:DEV.TEAM has been announced for a while but preorders opened today:
http://www.ngdevdirect.com/index.php
http://www.ngdevteam.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=91:pre-order-for-gunlord-aes-and-all-dreamcast-&catid=1:latest-news
The game looks similar to Turrican but with a Japanese slant:



I think the game looks gorgeous you can find more screen shots here on the official site: http://www.gun-lord.com/screens.html
Developer overview:
GunLord is a Eurostyle Platformer with emphasis on exploring huge worlds and blasting off enemies. This game features 8 stages of exciting 2D game play with over 45 unique enemy types. Blast yourself through giant landscapes, explore caverns and reveal all secrets!!
Release: NEO·GEO™ MVS December 2011, Dreamcast™ 2012, NEO·GEO™ AES 2012
Game
8 Huge Stages
16-bit Hand-drawn Graphics
Non-linear action with 8-way scrolling
Big Bad Boss Enemies
Constant 60 fps
Internet Ranking via Code

Accessories (DC)
VMU
VGA
Original Pad
Acade Stick

Hardware Specs (MVS)
MVS Multi Slot Compatible (MVS)*
Full use of 624 Megabits
30+ min. Full Digitized Stereo Soundtrack
In-System Software Updates via USB Port
Custom made PCBs

Hardware Specs (AES)
NEO·GEO AES Compatible (AES)
Full use of 624 Megabits
30+ min. Full Digitized Stereo Soundtrack
Custom made PCBs

* MVS cart also works with Super MVS Converter II on AES
I must admit that it think the boxart is stunning and the English AES version is really nicely put together:


Having rpeviosly order games from the company I know they put a lot of love into their releases and their packages are always of a high standard. Personally preordered the DC LE Dragon Box version this morning:

Can't wait!!
Gameplay vid now up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HohDEQpIRMw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Recent Arrival - Qubed

I've been after this US exclusive compilation for a while now and it's a game that has been tricky to find at a reasonable price. The game disk contains the previous XBL releases REZHD, LUMINES, and EVERY EXTEND EXTRA EXTREME. It's one of those titles that is probably dirt cheap over the other side of the pond but hard to get over here without paying the stupid postage charges this game seems to command on ebay. Anyway the game is in nearly new condition and cost £12.58 including P&P (you could probably get it a bit cheaper with some patience). I can confirm that Qubed works perfectly on a Jap 360 and there's a nice interview with the game designer (his name escapes me at the moment) included on the disk. At the moment I'm completely addicted to Every Extend Extra Extreme, I like the way they've expanded the original concept into an insane and tactical shooter/puzzle game. REZ HD looks stunning, I really like the lick of paint that the game has had and I think it might be one of those rare games that benefits from a HD makeover. I'm a huge Lumines fan and whilst the 360 port is cool there's something about the game that lends itself to the handheld format better, maybe it's because the control seems sharper? In short the compilation is a great showcase for the amazing work that Q Entertainment have done over the years, frankly I'm really not sure why this didn't get a PAL release a great value package. 8/10

I think this may be the last of the compilations I need to pick up with XBL shooters released in a physical format but I'm always on the lookout.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/53666013@N02/6264454177/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53666013@N02/6264984454/in/photostream/

Nano Assault

Release day rapidly approaches, must admit this may be the game that makes me take the plunge and get a 3DS.

I'm big fan of Shinen's previous shooter releases - Iridion 2, Nanastray 1 and 2.

The game is touted as a spiritual sequel to the Nanostray series:

"Stop the deadly Nanostray virus from spreading and contaminating civilization in Nano Assault, a fast-paced action shooter set within a visually stunning cellular system that leaps off the screen in full 3D. Control your microscopic Nanite ship inside the dangerous virus to fight off infections, navigate through alien cell clusters, battle bosses, and ultimately analyze and destroy the virus' core to save humanity.
Find, analyze, and destroy the Nanostray virus DNA with your Nanite vessel.
Harness the power of multiple weapons: Powerful Beams that lock onto enemies for instant impact; Energetic Bombs explode upon impact and launch devastating projectiles; Spins rotate around enemies in energy-draining orbs
Blast your way through 32 twisted cell stages and dark worlds with rugged landscapes that self-adjust in difficulty based on how you play.
Battle and defeat 10 extreme bosses including the Black Nucleus, Hyper Blobs, and Spore Plants to collect secondary weapons including lightning chains, electric flashes that destroy everything in close proximity, and the quick and powerful laser.
Test your skills in "Boss Rush" mode and battle bosses back-to-back!
Stunning gameplay aesthetic is set in a distinctive electron microscope inspired world.
Ignite purifying blasts to clear infections by collecting power-ups that defeated enemies leave behind.
Respawn and clone yourself along the journey to ensure successful missions. AutoSaving is available after each stage or section.
Extra features include Missions Mode, an unlockable arcade style cell stage where you must destroy enemies against a time counter trying to get the highest score, and Hall of Fame where you can publish your level scores and compare them with friends online.
Detailed enemy Nanopedia lets you unlock information containing strengths, weaknesses, and strategies to defeat them."

Trailer can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGkYxVNuXtU&feature=youtu.be

Dark Souls Limited Edition PAL

Watch "Dark Souls Limited Edition PAL - PS3" on YouTube

The Great Ocean Commander - An Adventure on the High Seas

Article to follow

Watch "Stuff Ive Bought Recently - Ocean Commander PS2" on YouTube

Gears of War 3 Limited Edition

Gears of War 3 - Limited Edition - YouTube

Definition of a Euroshup

I was asked recently to define the term "euroshmup", here's what ~I came up with:

Broadly euroshmup is a derogatory term for a shooter (normally but not exclusively a horizontal scroller), that looks really slick and polished but has some facet of gameplay that is broken.

By far the main problems are usually asosciated with the balance of the game:

Enemies being too tough and weapons too week

A vast amount of different weapons to choose from but fundamentally they all have the same affect

Punishing reset points

Loss of weapons at death makes continuing the game almost impossible.

Classic examples: Blood Money, X2, Soldner-X

What do you think? Is there anything you would add?

Sturmwind - New Release Date (All the ones)

Just a quick post to let you know that it appears that Redspotgames stunning looking DC shmup appears to have a firm release date of 11/11/11 rather than the vague quarter 2 release date previously released.

A great date for bingo and DC fans out there!

Strangely the shop page still refers to the QTR 2 release date.

http://sturmwind.duranik.com/order.htm
http://www.redspotgames.com/shop/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=19

Shooting Update

As I'm sat here sweltering in the summer heat time for a quick touch base about what I'm up to at the moment:

1. I'm eagerly awaiting the delivery of the new Ikaruga scale model that was released in Japan last week. It is an amazing looking set and I belive it's already painted!!



2. Picked up game 12 for the 14 shmups project, Cotton 2 LTD Edition with Tea Cup. Looks like I've secured a copy of Harmful Park too. Just got that bloody GleyLancer to source now!



3. I seem to be spending a lot of time scouring shops in Leeds for PS3 exclusives at the moment - there are some real bargains to be had out there. Wipeout HD Fury and Resistance 2 being two recent examples of pickups.

4. I've got a bucket loads of videos filmed, the great edit-fest starts tonight!

Geoff

Newest Pickups 20/06/2011

A couple of interesting pickups over the last few days:


R-Type Leo marquee arrived last week, really pleased with this one and it didn't even cost a £10, for a future project........


Picked up the Tatsunoko Vs Capcom Arcade stick from HMV on Saturday for a crispy £20, wow what an amazing stick it just so sturdy! I take back (nearly) everything I've said about Madkatz over the years.
I bought this to play virtual console games and I can assure you that it works brilliantly on MUSHA!!

Strike Witches Limited Edition

Arrived yesterday, will expand this post when I get home tonight.

List of Shmups that will be at E3

Radient Silvergun for XBL and erm that's it......... :D

List of Shmups I'm Seeking

I've been using this working list for a while to monitor which shmups I want to collect.

Not an exhaustive list by any means and there are a few non-shmups in there too. Also with a few scrappy condition notes:

Title Format Notes (if applicable)
Radirgy GC Must be in good nick
Senko No Ronde Rev.X Limited 360 First run edition with art cards
Shooting Love 200x 360 First print edition with soundtrack
Dodonpachi Resurrection Black Label 360
Gigawing DC Complete and good condition
Ikaruga Sega Direct Version DC Comes with a mouse mat or some such shite!
Any DC shmup special Edition DC
Any DC Sega Direct Except Radirgy or Karous DC
Ketsui DS Complete, not bothered if its reprint version
R-Type 2 Gameboy Jap version complete
Nemesis 2 Gameboy Jap or PAL preferably complete
Ikaruga GC US version
Robo Aleste Mega CD
Gleylancer Megadrive Complete
Phelios Megadrive
V-V Megadrive Look for US version Grind Stormer too
Elemental Master Megadrive
MUSHA Megadrive Needs to be tiptop condition, consider US release
Kuuga Vapor Trail Megadrive
Steel Empire Megadrive Must be Jap version
Bio Ship Paladin Megadrive
Fire Mustang Megadrive
Fire Shark Megadrive
Insector X Megadrive
R-Type MSX Cartridge version, great artwork
Star Soldier N64
Ghost Pilots NEO GEO AES
Pulstar/Blazing Star NEO GEO AES Will always be too expensive - watch out for MVS conversions
Tatsujin PC Engine
Gate of Thunder PC Engine
Final Blaster PC Engine
Override PC Engine
Star Parodier PC Engine
Armed F PC Engine
Deep Blue PC Engine Needs to be cheap notoriously bad
Heavy Unit PC Engine Try and get cheap very difficult
P-47 PC Engine
1941 Counter Strike PC Engine
Final Blaster PC Engine
Raiden PC Engine
Cloud Master Chuka Taisen PC Engine
1943 Kai PC Engine
Cyber Core PC Engine
Coryoon PC Engine Uncommon
Metamor Jupiter PC Engine
Saint Dragon PC Engine
Rayxanber III PC Engine CD Preferably complete
L-Dis PC Engine CD
Sapphire PC Engine CD Will always be too expensive, check out PSP version
Geppy - X PS1 Any condition
R-Type Delta PS1 JAP edition
Soukyugurentai PS1
Oretachi Geasen Zoku - Sonic Wings PS2 Must be complete
Thunderforce 6 PS2 First Print Edition with Extras
R-Type Command 2 PSP
Star Soldier PSP
Sengoku Aces 3 PSP
Darius Burst PSP
Strikers 1945 Plus PSP
Platypus PSP
Skull Fang Saturn With bonus disk
Donpachi Saturn Not bothered about spine
Gun Frontier Saturn Not bothered about spine
Planet Joker Saturn Must be cheap as the game is notoriously awful
Steam Hearts Saturn Must include spine and be not too expensive
Cotton 2 Saturn Must be teacup version and have all the extras
Shienryu Saturn
Prikura Daisakusen Saturn Must be complete with all extras
Thunderforce V Special Edition Saturn Looking for complete, also looking for budget Satacore? VersionFantasy Zone Saturn
Kyuukyoko Tiger 2 Saturn
Silhouette Mirage Saturn
Darius Gaiden Saturn
Keio Flying Squadron 2 Saturn
3 Wonders Saturn Comes under the Arcade Gears banner
Super Dimension Macross Saturn
Capcom Generations 1 Saturn Complete
Gekirindan Saturn
Image Fight/X-Multiply Saturn X-Multiply is awesome
R-Type Sega Mark 3 Version
Power Strike 2 Sega Master System
Super R-Type SNES US version
Macross Scrambled Valkyrie SNES Complete, replacement for loose cart version - nice artwork
Judgement Silversword Wonderswan
Milestone Shooting Collection Wii
Illvelo Wii
Mamoru-Kun Wa Norowarete Shimatta! Limited Editon PS3

(Click on Picture for Larger Version)

Thanks @Gunhead

Thanks to Gunhead aka Amidststorm for pointing me in the direction of this slightly obscure euro PAL release. This compilation disk containing 3 XBL games (and one DLC) as a physical release. For 360 shmup fans this game is of particular interest because it contains the tremendous Geometry Wars 2. I picked this up for the princely sum of £4 brand new from Ebay. Will post some nicer photos next week.

Amiga "Backups"

I've promised this list for a long time for one of my youtube buddies ash, you can check his channel out here: ash81b4u sorry for the delay mate:

Dragon Ninja
Galactic Rats
Monopoly Deluxe
Gazzas Soccer
World Trophy Soccer
Ork Disk 1 + 2
Micro Golf 2
Baal
Winzip
Dynablaster
Argonaut
Jump N Roll
Addams Family
Navy Seals
Myth Disk 1, 2, + 3
Arcadia
The Mad Show
Carnage
Mercenary, Virus, Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back
Mega-Ball
Alien Breed Disk 1 + 2
St. Dragon
Frogger, Tornado
Graham Gooch Cricket
Wings Disk 1 + 2
Chuck Rock Disk 1 + 2
Dizzy Collection
Pacman 87
Ishar 2, Snakes, Wibble World Giddy
First Samurai Disk 1 + 2
Subbuteo
Amazing Spiderman

Well these were the copies that were included with the Amiga I purchased, there were some original titles too - there are a few gems but also quite a bit of shite!!

Geoff

Stuff I've Bought Recently - Insane PS3 Limited Editions

Hello Chaps

Just thought I’d post a link to my newest youtube vid showing a couple of over the top PS3 limited editions I bought earlier on in the year. This is the first vid I filmed using my new HD camcorder, it came out quite nice. The JVC software that came bundled with the camera is a bit lame and so I’m going to have to get a better Mts to Wmv converter at some point. There were a few errors in this vid but overall I’m quite happy with it.

Geoff

Gmintyfresh on Youtube - The Future

I've just realised that title seems quite final, like I'm making an announcement that the channel is going to shut down - I can assure you this Isn't the case.

Over the last few weeks I've been re-enthused about pulling together my Youtube vids, in fact I'd go as far as saying I'm really enjoying it!

So this is my chance to take stock of some old/new video ideas I need to get started:

1. Guide to games shops in Leeds
2. Beginners guide to 360 importing
3. Finish room tour
4. Dreamcast shmup collection retrospective
5. I've retired the Saturn Shooter collection series of vids - It was always going to be a useful testing bed for a bigger project I had planned, in that respect it was successful. This bigger project is a series of vids looking at my shmup collection in detail - I'm going try and script these and put as much information in as possible.
6. Some kind of interview session with real gamers.
7. Dreamcast Fighting Games Video - I've been meaning to start this project for ages because I've nearly got as many DC fighters as Shmups
8. 360 Limited Editions - Got loads of these I want to show too.
Hopefully I'll start on these soon!

14 Shmups, 12 Months, £1200 - May Games

I really can't believe it's been ten months since I started this project, I'm really glad I actually stuck to with this adventure - trust me I nearly bailed a few times due to the sheer cost of acquiring these games! I knew towards the end of this project that I'd have to double up twice in the monthly purchases to reach the full 14 games to the 12 month deadline. So here I am now with 2 months to go and 3 games to buy.

Gigawing 2 and Blast Wind both arrived over the weekend and typically for games imported from Japan the games were solidly wrapped and were in completely pristine condition - no CEX atrocities here thank god!

Gigawing 2 feels similar to the original but in some ways it's also very different, it's certainly a lot more manic and tough. The reflecting mechanic from the original has also been taken to new levels in the game. I'm editing a video that should be up either today or tomorrow anyway.

As for Blast Wind I'm going to have a play on this tonight and I can't wait.

14 Shmups, 12 Games, £1200 - Update

After the last post about this project I'm happy to say that I've acquired 2 more games towards the final target, as always I'll talk about these purchases here first:

Giga Wing 2

Was winning a copy on Ebay for about a week at about £20 but entered into a mini bidding war with another bidder about 1 hour before the auction ended. Managed to win this little bugger for £32 but I really thought I could pick it up a little cheaper - ah well I've got it now! This price was still cheaper than the £44 estimate I had on the game so it's not all bad. OH YES AND MY DC SHMUP COLLECTION IS NOW COMPLETE!!!! A DC retrospective vid will be forthcoming in the next few weeks.

Blast Wind

Finally won a copy of this at a non ridiculously silly price of £68 inc P+P, again I won this under my estimate of £75 - which in the current climate was a tough one to work to. Really looking forward to this one.

14 Shmups, 12 Months, £1200 Current Position

Latest Update

Well after much stalling April's project video finally published yesterday, man the video was a trial to put together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJhbaIBiljo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

To be honest I'd done most of the time consuming stuff such as capturing the gameplay footage and editing that but real life has just been getting in the way recently. But I'm back with a much more positive attitude about the whole thing. I've got one of the next games lined up by the look of it but I'm going to have to bite the bullet and buy something really expensive this month.......

Still to get:

Gigawing 2 - DC

Trying to find this for less than £30 with spine has been tough, it's not rare by any stretch of the imagination but it suffers from the curse of being a DC game and a shooter. Ebay sellers crank the prices up on this game. It's funny I played this the first time at Retro Rewind with SpiffierRabbit and Oli_Lar from the Retro Gamer forum, great day and great company. More inportantly however is that this shooter represents the last DC shooter I need to buy for a full shmup collection. My mission to collect shmups in general spwawned from thios collection so it'll be quite a watershed moment for my collection when I finally complete this set.

Cotton 2 SE with Calendar and Tea Cup - Saturn

One I want in the collection purely for the beans - I mean as a Special Edition it's ridiculous right? What's doubly daft is that I turned down a copy of the standard edition for £15 once! But the game itself looks lovely so at least Im going to play this one! I expect to pay around £80 for this one.

Blast Wind - Saturn

Another Saturn Technosoft exclusive! For some reason when I started the project this shooter was quite modestly priced (£50-£60) but over the last 9 months the price has slowly risen. I suspect this is because at the moment there doesn't seem to be as many copies out there, this game seems to divide shmup fans - whilst it might not be the prettiest shooter out there I love it's unique visuals they make me think Mars Matrix on the DC. I'm probably looking at around £80 -£90 for this one now.

GleyLancer - MD

One of the first games I bookmarked on ebay when starting this project and the one that has maintained it's high price for longest, to be honest with this one I'm going to be lucky to get it for less than £90. It just rarely comes up on ebay to bid for and it's generally listed as buy it now in auctions - so the prices are really maintained at the same level. I really love this game however so I'm more than willing to part with the cash for this.

Harmful Park - PS1

The daddy!!

I suspect this one could be the most expensive game on the list, to get a nice copy with a spinecard on ebay you're looking at at least £130! Another shooter that was a good £20 cheaper on average when I started the project, there just aren't that many copies around. This is probably the game I'm most curious about it looks like a Parodius game with equally over the top boss battles.

So now it's time to stop writing and get hunting those dream shmups!!

To understand what I’m attempting to achieve with this project do please see the previous blog entry here:

http://gmintyfresh.blogspot.com/2010/07/12-months-14-shmups-1200.html

Current status

Blast Wind - Sega Saturn
Harmful Park - Playstation 1
Radiant Silvergun - Sega Saturn (Bought)
Ibara - Playstation 2 (Bought)
Mushihimesama Futari Ltd Edition - Xbox 360 (Bought)
GlayLancer - Megadrive
Gigawing 2 - Dreamcast
Zero Gunner 2 - Dreamcast (Bought)
Twinkle Star Sprites - Dreamcast (Bought)
Last Resort - NEO GEO AES (Bought)
Cotton 2 - With Tea Cup - Saturn
Soldier Blade - PC Engine (Bought)
Hyper Duel Sega - Saturn (Bought)
Deathsmiles 2 Limited Edition - Xbox 360 (Bought)

Hello Everyone

Been away the last few weekends so not much YT action from me recently I'm going to try and film a few this week.

1. 14 Shmups, 12 Months, £1200 #9 Twinkle Star Sprites


2. April 360 Shmup Madness #3 - Ototmedius Excellent


3. Another Stuff I've bought recently vid - A priority because I've got loads to show.

I Picked up an uncommon Saturn shooter this week called Wolf Fang, it's a fairly nice mech based shooter by Data East converted by Xing. The game is one of the sequels to vapor trail and and I've only seen the Saturn version a couple on times on eBay so I was really pleased to pick it up for £25! I've seen quite a few copies of the PS1 version but as always the Sat version is the one to have! Nearly picked up a copy of Planet Joker also - I know it's supposed to be one of the worst shmups of all time but it was really cheap.

Yet more new 360 shmups have kept me busy too namely Otomedius Excellent and Trouble Witches Neo:

Otomedius Excellent - Much the same as the previous game in the series but I think it's better. More characters, more level variation, unlockable weapons for the powerup system, and more interesting boss encounters. A special mention should be made about the soundtrack, it's pure Parodious you'd love picking out where some of those tunes came from!

Trouble Witches - I wasn't expecting much from the XBL download going by the reviews I've seen of it - boy I was wrong what a lovely little shooter for 800 points. Think Deathsmiles mixed with a large dollop of Cotton, it even feels a bit like the PS3/PC doujin release Gundemonium - but a lot nicer.

Geoff

Musings of the Mad – 02/02/11

So with a sense of dread I finally took the plunge and joined the world of Red Dead Redemption last night. I say dread approaching RDR not for any inadequacies the game may possess but for the fact that I know what starting this game means for me on a personal level. It means compulsion to the point of distraction to fully explore and conquer this game to the exclusion of all others. I’ve resisted one of my friends constant questioning of why I haven’t started the game because it's so good (Mark, a guy I know with a wealth of gaming knowledge rates it as his favourite game of all time!) and the rave reviews from the gaming press.

I‘ve been resisting the lesson history has taught me, that GTA 4 you stole my life!! Quite simply recently I’ve been juggling and completing some of the great games that have been released over the last 6 months, if I’d started RDR all those great games and experiences would have been left by the wayside. When playing GTA on release I didn’t play anything else till I’d completed the game and all the side missions that I wanted to. Having briefly wandered around the world of RDR I can tell the game has the same depth and magic that inhabits its older brother, all within it’s own epic game world.

So yes I’m glad that I cleared the boards and made time for this game because it’s going to be a long ride.

Geoff

12 Months, 14 Shmups, £1200 – Game #6

Mushihimesama Futari Limited Edition




To understand what I’m attempting to achieve with this project do please see the previous blog entry here:

http://gmintyfresh.blogspot.com/2010/07/12-months-14-shmups-1200.html

January

Above: the limited edition of Mushihemesama contains a double sized CD soundtrack with beautiful cover.
Above: the download card was used in the copy I bought but I didn't mind as long it was included.

Above: other side of the spine card and the lovely artwork included on the two soundtrack CDs

Another great 360 shooter I missed on release due to a lack of funds, a really beautiful looking game with some of the nicest artwork included in a Cave game. I clawed some of the money back I lost with the additional duty paid on Zero Gunner 2 last month with this purchase

I budgeted to spend around £90 on this and I actually bought it for £66 so I was really happy with the purchase. The game had seriously been loved because it was in pristine condition and the seller had even kept the sticker that was attached to the cover of the cellophane - I wish that all sellers were this loving to their games. This LE set is uses the familiar format that Cave have adopted with their special releases, an oversized box with the game in the bottom and the soundtrack in a little cardboard holder on the top. Unusally the soundtrack is a double feature and includes arranged scores for both Mushihimesama and Mushihimesama Futari. The artwork for the Mushi series has always been stunning and this is no exception as you can see. The game actually plays really nicely and is less hardcore than it's predecessor - but is equally gorgeous looking. Mind you crank the game up onto ultra and you know about it, phew it's tough!!

In short a really welcome addition to my shmup collection!!

Geoff

Current status

Blast Wind - Sega Saturn
Harmful Park - Playstation 1
Radiant Silvergun - Sega Saturn (Bought)
Ibara - Playstation 2
Mushihimesama Futari Ltd Edition - Xbox 360 (Bought)
GlayLancer - Megadrive
Gigawing 2 - Dreamcast
Zero Gunner 2 - Dreamcast (Bought)
Twinkle Star Sprites - Dreamcast
Last Resort - NEO GEO AES (Bought)
Cotton 2 - With Tea Cup - Saturn
Soldier Blade - PC Engine
Hyper Duel Sega - Saturn (Bought)
Deathsmiles 2 Limited Edition - Xbox 360 (Bought)