December 2011 Shmup Pickups

 After a brief period of uncertainty about my collecting, everything seems to have slotted into place and I have realised that I need to just enjoy what I'm doing, not worry about having to own everything ever released, hunt out bargains (they do really exist in the shmup world!), and bottom line.. just enjoy playing the damn games.

So, I started by trawling Ebay and my import sites like I used to, and one or two purchases, soon turned into a few :)

Let's take a look at the shmups I picked up during December. I would just like to add that all the following, I picked up at very good prices, hence the amount I got in December. Sometimes if you see something at a price you know will be hard to beat, especially with Japanese Xbox 360 games, it's sometimes worth taking the fall now if it saves you money on something you were looking to buy anyhow at a later date.

DECEMBER SHMUP PICKUPS

Game: Gyrodine

Developer: Taito

System: Famicom

Released: 1986

Only my second boxed and complete Famicom shmup. A Japanese exclusive that bares a resemblance to Tiger Heli perhaps.

Gyrodine

 Game: Mr. Heli no Daibouken

Developer: Irem

System: PC Engine

Released: 1989

A Japanese PC Engine exclusive.

Mr Heli

Game: R-Type

System: PC Engine

Developer: Irem

Released: 1989

R-Type

The following 3 PC Engine titles do not include the Hu-card games. I managed to pick these up in mint condition just the jewel case and instructions for just £1.50 each. I figured I would come across cheap hu-cards only of these games at some point, and would probably work out cheaper than buying the games complete.

Game: G-Darius

System: Playstation NTSC-J

Developer: Taito

Released: 1998

G-Darius

Game: Intellivision Lives!

System: Playstation 2 (PAL)

Released: 2004

Astrosmash

Game: Taito Legends 2

System: Playstation 2 (PAL)

Developer: Taito

Released: 2006

What a beast of a release. 40+ Taito games and the following shmups all on one disc at a bargain price of a few english pound, new and sealed.

• Darius Gaiden, Gekirindan, Grid Seeker: Project Storm Hammer, Gun Frontier, Insector X, Metal Black, Space Invaders '95, Space Invaders DX, Space Invaders '91, G-Darius, Raystorm, Syvalion

Game: R-Type Final

System: Playstation 2 NTSC-J

Developer: Irem

Released: 2003

R-Type Final

Game: Radirgy Precious

System: Playstation 2 NTSC-J

Developer: Milestone

Released: 2006

Radirgy Precious

Game: Blast Works: Build, Trade, Destroy

System: Wii (PAL)

Developer: Budcat Creations

Released: 2009

A build your own shmup.

Blast Works

Game: Geometry Wars: Galaxies

System: Wii (PAL)

Developer: Sierra

Released: 2008

Geometry Wars: Galaxies

 Game: Illvelo Wii: Illmatic Envelope

System: Wii (NTSC-J)

Developer: Milestone

Released: 2008

Illvelo

Game: Milestone Shooting Collection: Karous Wii

System: Wii (NTSC-J)

Developer: Milestone

Released: 2008

Karous

Game: Deathsmiles

System: XBOX 360 (NTSC-J)

Developer: Cave

Released: 2009

I wasn't planning a hurried purchase of the Japanese version of Deathsmiles as I own the PAL version, but was planning on getting it sooner or later When one came up on ebay for under £30 delivered, it seemed rude not to take it off the seller's hands.

Deathsmiles

Game: DoDonPachi Daifukkatsu 1.5

System: XBOX 360 (NTSC-J)

Developer: Cave

Released: 2010

Another unplanned purchase considering I already own the Black Label version and had ordered the below PAL version, but at the price (about 50% cheaper than VideoGameImports and Genki had it listed for), I couldn't turn it down. Simple decison really.

DDP DF 1.5

 

Game: DoDonPachi Resurrection

System: XBOX 360 (PAL)

Developer: Cave

Released: 2011

All praise Rising Star Games for yet another fantastic port and for having the balls for releasing a Cave game in PAL regions, probably knowing it's not going to really break any record sales in this modern game age of moronic modern warfare mentalities. May we have many more please?

DDP Resurrection

Overview pic of December Pickups

2012 SHMUPS, PHYSICAL RELEASES

ST?RMW?ND

It seems not too long ago that I first stumbled across the news that a new Dreamcast shooter was in development called Sturmwind. This excited me no end as it hadn't been long since the release of NG-DEV's, Fast Striker, and I was inspired to start my shmup blog again. This was back in Febuary 2011, but I still have no Sturmwind lining my collection shelving.
It seems the previous release date on Red Spot Games pre order site was late December 2011 and has now been penned in as "won't be released BEFORE MARCH 2012!!". This isn't the end of the world, as I'd rather see them take longer if the game ends up being more impressive overall.


Sturmwind LTD Edition package


2012 PHYSICAL RELEASES

After 2011 being such a big year for shmup releases in my eyes, well certainly in regards to the Xbox 360, 2012 was always going to be one of either excitement or void.

In 2011, Cave repackaged some of their fine bullet hell shooters from their back catalogue, such as Muchi Muchi Pork! and DoDonPachi Daifukkatsu Black Label, as well as giving us new releases in the shape of Akai Katana Shin, not long after it was released in Japanese arcades! Others included, Bullet Soul From 5pb Games, Eschatos from Qute (suprise Shmup of the year for me), and a new Otomedius game in Konami's series (please revive Gradius, Twin Bee and Parodius Konami?), not forgetting Rising Star Games' efforts for PAL releases of Deathsmiles and DoDonPachi Resurrection.



DDP Daifukkatsu/Resurrection



So what's on the cards for 2012 you might ask? Well I haven't heard of alot so far. When I say this I mean more in a sense of Xbox 360 releases and physical releases at that. I find it hard to keep up with the Digital releases and although the first half of last year I was buying every 360 digi and Indie shmup I could get my hands on, It soon became apparent that I was forgetting I had bought most of them before I even played them. Out of sight, out of mind perhaps? I even passed on the Radiant Silvergun HD release and I was looking forward to that one earlier in the year, even though I own the Saturn version.

Over here in the UK we never received our PAL releases of Raiden Fighter Aces on the 360 and Shikigami No Shiro III on the Wii, so although I'm not holding my breath for these, it's always a possibility we might see these at some point this year. Look what happened with Duke Nukem :P

UNDER DEFEAT HD

The cracking Dreamcast shooter, Under Defeat is getting a HD overhaul and is due for release as early as February. I was so pleased to hear that as well as a 360 release, that a PS3 port is happening too. This will be only the second physical shmup release available for Sony's beast, after last year's Mamoru Kun port.

Check out some gameplay footage of the new High Definition Under Defeat below.



AKAI KATANA SHIN (PAL RELEASE)

Other releases to get excited about, are a port by Rising Star Games of Cave's 2011 Hori shooter, Akai Katana Shin. This is just fantastic news for anybody not owning a Japanese region Xbox 360 living in the PAL regions. It will also be considerably cheaper than the Japanese release if you haven't already picked it up and they often contain the bonuses of extra content and a soundtrack cd. I can only take my hat off to Rising Star Games for continuing their efforts to keep porting these fantastic games, and hope there are many more to come for this year and the ones preceding.

Akai Katana Shin 2011

Lastly I throw a small mention to news of a Capcom compilation to be released this year of their previous digi only releases, which will include the not so exciting, vertical shmup, 1942: Joint Strike.

My apologies for the lack of coverage on PC shmups such as the Doujin/Indie scene, I began playing some games last year such as ones in the Touhou series and the fantastic Crimzon Clover, but I just haven't really hit that scene yet, as with the modern arcade scene. Watch this space. Any suggestions, or recommendations are always most welcome though :)

QUESTION(S)

1) So what shmup releases are you most looking forward to in 2012?

2) What shmup(s) would you like to see get a remake or new port to a console?


Keep a look out for my upcoming December 2011 Shmup Pickups post, it's a big one!

Happy New Year!

GH x