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.
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| Gyrodine |
Game: Mr. Heli no Daibouken
Developer: Irem
System: PC Engine
Released: 1989
A Japanese PC Engine exclusive.
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| Mr Heli |
Game: R-Type
System: PC Engine
Developer: Irem
Released: 1989
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| 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
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| G-Darius |
Game: Intellivision Lives!
System: Playstation 2 (PAL)
Released: 2004
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| 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
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| R-Type Final |
Game: Radirgy Precious
System: Playstation 2 NTSC-J
Developer: Milestone
Released: 2006
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| Radirgy Precious |
Game: Blast Works: Build, Trade, Destroy
System: Wii (PAL)
Developer: Budcat Creations
Released: 2009
A build your own shmup.
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| Blast Works |
Game: Geometry Wars: Galaxies
System: Wii (PAL)
Developer: Sierra
Released: 2008
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| Geometry Wars: Galaxies |
Game: Illvelo Wii: Illmatic Envelope
System: Wii (NTSC-J)
Developer: Milestone
Released: 2008
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| Illvelo |
Game: Milestone Shooting Collection: Karous Wii
System: Wii (NTSC-J)
Developer: Milestone
Released: 2008
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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?
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| DDP Resurrection |
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| Overview pic of December Pickups |
Sweet pickups are sweet!
ReplyDeleteGyrodine was one of the first games I played on an NES clone when I was a kid. I'll probably end up getting a Wii in the near future, I enjoy Milestone shooters and I would love to try Illvelo. I wonder why it hasn't been released for the 360 since Radirgy Noa came out not too long after the Wii verson.
Nice to see you bolstering that PC Engine Collection, can't belive you've only just got R-Type - shame, shame :D Great port isn't it and a stunning display what a turbo charged 8 bit console can do!! Never heard of Metal Stoker? Really interested what you think of Illvelo, I never fancied it but always wanted to play it. Man I really need to pick up my copy of Milestone collection from the post depot!! Keep up the good work mate
ReplyDeleteYeah it is a shame. We could have them all on the 360, the Milestone collections, Karous, all the Radirgy variants, Illvelo, Chaos Field. I guess it comes down to sales perhaps. But why choose the Wii over the 360 or PS3. I recommend picking one up Ed. It's worth it just to soft mod it, and ram it full of roms and to play imports on. The Wii has some exclusive releases I think. Blast Works, Illvelo, Shin Chuuka Taisen, The Shooting Action, Sin & Punishment, Taiseiou (Saint) and dare I say it, Ocean commander. I know it's remake but it's current gen exclusive thankfully.. urgh!
ReplyDeleteAlso it's backwards compat with GC games so it'll give you another few shmups to get :)
@Geoff - I already had a loose hucard of R-Type, this was a replacement complete copy I saw cheap and mint. Same goes for R-Type final and Deathsmiles. I already have the PAL versions. It's just jap replacements are final :) Also when I first started buying alot of shmups and collecting. Id just snap up anything in any condition. It wasn't until I bought a JAP saturn and Radiant Silvergun mint that I suddenly got the Spine card bug an d needed everything mint or close to. Got alot of loose carts that i have slowly been replacing overtime.
ReplyDeleteIllvelo seems absolutely nuts. I only played it for half hour or so as Karous took it's limelight. Illvelo plays like a typical Milestoner. It's very original and has endless bonus levels that you shoot to every time you collect certain types of icons. I'd like to give all the Milestone stuff a proper playthrough. I remember nearly 1CC'ing Radirgy on the DC on my first try. I think the 360 port would get priority placement if i were to hammer it in the future. A future AvsG game perhaps?
I thought you must have had R-Type, its an essential if you've got the console eh mate? I've got a few games where I need to secure replacement copies, both my Jap copies of R-Type 3 and Axelay will be made complete or replaced at some point in the future. Quite happy with my standard Saturn purchases not having spines, the expensive ones need to be complete though - Batsugun, Garegga, Hyper Duel, and Blast Wind.
DeleteYou know I think Radirgy Noa Massive was my Favourite 360 shmup release of 2009, it's definitely more difficult. Your experience of Radirgy on the DC sounds like mine of Karous blasted through the majority of that on my first go, still not sure about mechanics of that game either!
I really suck at R-Type, like really really suck. All versions in fact. Gradius is a similiar story.
ReplyDeleteLove R-Type used to be able to 1 credit the MS version, that was in the days when I had 3 games on the system. I'm ok at Gradius, I really got into Gradius 5 at one point. Darius was a series I fail at hopelessly, I'm not a fan of the series and my brain just doesn't work with it :(
DeleteSo many great titles man, and ans a sweet eclectic mix..I like your shrewd tactics when it comes to buying em, i.e the covers for the PCE games and jumping on deals when you spot em. Radirgy games are great, and didnt know of the Galaxie and Blast Works shmups for the wii.
ReplyDeleteG-Daruis Jap coverart is awesome, the pal version's is shite.Stoked you got good deals on these man, because these are all 'big deals' if you know what i mean ;) great stuff!
Hey man, good to see you on here. Thanks for the comment. Does that mean we're going to see a blog from you at some point. That would be sweet to see some of your collection in photos etc.
DeleteWicked haul, and some top games there! R-Type Final is quality, I paid £1.50 for a mint copy a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteHey mo, cheers man. Yeah rtype final is a quality shmup. £1.50 is a silly good bargain. I have both the pal and jap versions now. I guess I'll probably end up selling the pal version at some point.
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