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STEEL DIVER: Nintendo's new IP! What say you?

Yuterald

Member
I finished the game this afternoon! Awesome stuff. Final mission was pretty fucking epic! Game had a nice credits track as well. I have 6/15 ghost medals, tons of decals left to unlock and activate, the majority of the time trials left, and the entire strategy mode to do. I have logged 12 hours so far according to my play history on my 3DS. A couple hours of content my ass.

There were two composers in the credits. I didn't get a chance to write them down so I'll have to beat the game again to see them lol! Both did not look familiar to me though.
 

Ridley327

Member
I beat the final mission last night; the awesome gameplay really deserved a meatier game. I don't know if it's because of the on-again, off-again nature of the development or the launch deadline, but I find it really hard to believe that they could have only come up with seven missions. The progression was also screwed up because of this, since you have to beat each of the first five missions with each of the three subs to unlock mission six and then you have to do the same thing for mission six to unlock the final mission. The differences between the subs really don't become all that pronounced until mission five, so it feels like much more of a drag than it should be. This game is also sadly mistaken if they think that I'm going to be replaying each of the missions that many times to fill out the emblem charts.

That said, the concept works wonderfully and it does lead to some really stellar and surprising moments, like the first time you come across the proximity mines, the mission six surprises (
having to avoid the whales and avoiding and THEN shooting the ice bergs to progress
) and all of the final mission (that boss fight, holy shit). If they get the chance to make a sequel to this, I have a feeling that we'd be looking a Pikmin->Pikmin 2 leap in content and that's worth getting really excited for.
 

Yuterald

Member
Ridley327 said:
I beat the final mission last night; the awesome gameplay really deserved a meatier game. I don't know if it's because of the on-again, off-again nature of the development or the launch deadline, but I find it really hard to believe that they could have only come up with seven missions. The progression was also screwed up because of this, since you have to beat each of the first five missions with each of the three subs to unlock mission six and then you have to do the same thing for mission six to unlock the final mission. The differences between the subs really don't become all that pronounced until mission five, so it feels like much more of a drag than it should be. This game is also sadly mistaken if they think that I'm going to be replaying each of the missions that many times to fill out the emblem charts.

That said, the concept works wonderfully and it does lead to some really stellar and surprising moments, like the first time you come across the proximity mines, the mission six surprises (
having to avoid the whales and avoiding and THEN shooting the ice bergs to progress
) and all of the final mission (that boss fight, holy shit). If they get the chance to make a sequel to this, I have a feeling that we'd be looking a Pikmin->Pikmin 2 leap in content and that's worth getting really excited for.

Try beating the developer times to earn the ghost medals. You are DEFINITELY not getting these Medals on the first try. I've been raking in Decals because I've attempted the same missions so many times. I have a ton of active or near active Decals because of this. I believe that was their intention, as far as creating those somewhat ridiculous activation requirements.

While it seems like the developers wanted you to 'master' each stage and go for the best times, I do agree that the game could have used more stages. Stage 4-7 is where the game becomes really interesting and yes, the final boss battle was awesome. A nice rounded out 10 stages would have been appreciated. I really, really hope Nintendo makes a sequel for this game because you can definitely do A LOT with this formula.
 
Yuterald said:
A nice rounded out 10 stages would have been appreciated. I really, really hope Nintendo makes a sequel for this game because you can definitely do A LOT with this formula.

Watch as people bitch about it being more of the same when that happens.
 
Just controlling this game is a lot of fun. In that regard, it's everything I wanted. The levels are creative as are the obstacles. Although I do think there could've been more missions (as that's the meat of the game), there is a healthy amount of content for a handheld game. The time trials being different levels is a big plus. Happy with my purchase so far.

But let's talk gameplay:

Has anyone found a reliable way to get away from the bombs dropped from the air in Mission 5? You get an "incoming" warning, but there's no way to tell where they're coming from.

Because of the physics of the subs (which are generally great), it takes too long to get out of the way once the bombs enter the water. I'm having a difficult time with this using the supersize sub, especially when the bombs cause me to spring a leak. Then the controls are covered in water until I fix the leak, so I end up getting hit with more crap or running into a wall. It feels like a random bomb can end a pretty good run. Any suggestions?
 

jgkspsx

Member
I'm really liking it so far. Definitely doesn't feel like a launch title, or a first-party title, or even Nintendo's typical second-party title. More like a quietly personable late-in-generation third-party sleeper.

Which, given the length of its history on the DS, makes some sense.
 

Ridley327

Member
Yuterald said:
I guess it comes down to do this: if you're going to make players go through missions 15 times to unlock the content in the sixth mission, wouldn't it be more advantageous of doing 15 different missions than five missions three times each? In that instance, you could even tailor missions to the specific strengths and weakness of each of the subs while keeping the same "theme" of that particular area.

That's really the frustrating thing about the game; the potential is practically popping out of the screen and slapping the shit out of you and it ends up settling on "good enough."
 

Yuterald

Member
I agree, having more stage variety to entice the players to replay the levels to earn the Decals would have been ideal. But it's still a launch title and there is absolutely room for growth with this IP. To me, that's what is more important.
 

Yuterald

Member
Since I am enjoying the fuck out of this game I figured I'd list all the Decals I acquired so far, their attributes, and activation amounts required. I may also include what stages the Decals appear on for those looking to derive every tiny piece of content this game has to offer, whether you think it's lacking or not. =)

From left to right, top to bottom:

1. No decal, default selection.
2. Anchor: Halves damage taken from collisions with the environment. (3 required)
3. Octopus: Halves damage taken from enemy torpedoes. ( 3 required)
4. Skull and Crossbones: Halves damage taken from enemy depth charges. (3 required)
5. Arrow through Heart: Halves damage taken from collisions with enemy vessels.
(5 required)
6. Swords and Shield: Halves damage taken from mines. (5 required)
7. Wooden Ship: Quadruples recovery speed at the water's surface. (5 required)
8. Bomber: Halves damage taken from enemy air-to-sea bombs. (3 required)
9. Snail: Reduces damage taken from all sources. (7 required)
10. Orca: Halves air consumption rate of the masker. (3 required)
11. Lobster: Prevents submarine hull leaks. (5 required)
12. Bull: Increases torpedo damage. (7 required)
13. Golden Falcon: Increases maximum forward/reverse speed. (10 required)
14. Sea Serpent: Increases maximum dive/surface speed. (7 required)
15. Eye: Reveals enemy positions on the sea chart. (5 required)
16. Tridents: Increases torpedo reload speed. (7 required)
17. Lightning: Increase torpedo travel speed. (5 required)
18. Crescent Moon: Extends the mission time limit by 60 seconds. (5 required)
19. Scope Orb: Extends post-mission Periscope Strike by 10 seconds. (7 required)
20. Cherries: Extends post-mission Periscope Strike by 20 seconds. (10 required)
21. Sun: Increases torpedo speed in post-mission Periscope Strike. (10 required)
22. Panther: Decreases enemy speed in post-mission Periscope Strike. (10 required)
23. ??? *Game has revealed its name as 'Crown'*
24. Scorpion: Negates the effect of water currents: (5 required)
25. Squid: Increases the effect of waters currents: (3 required)
26. Sea Horse: Halves the effect of water currents: (3 required)
27. Penguin: Halves the impact of shock waves. (7 required)
28. ??? *Game has revealed its name as 'Wave'*
29. Frog: Increases the impact of shock waves (3 required)
30. Fire: Increase the amount of bubbles created by your torpedoes. (3 required)
31. ??? *Game has revealed its name as 'Mario'*
32. ??? *Game has revealed its name as 'Whale'*

Locations:
2-7: I believe I earned these all from Mission 1.
11 & 12: I was definitely getting these in Mission 5 & 6.
24-29: I believe the final mission I was earning these in.

The locations portion needs some work. I'll take note of my Decal earnings as I play this constantly. I think it's safe to say that the list of Decals pretty much goes in the order of the stages, give or take a few Decals.

If anyone has found the ones I am missing, please fill this chart in. I think after beating the game the locked Decals display the name of the Decal.
 

onipex

Member
I'm going to pick up this game after playing pilotwings. I should have known better than to trust people saying that the game only lasts a couple hours. I love these skill based point games so having another one with enough content is fine with me.
 
The main game mode is a lot of fun. Certainly can't remember a game like it (the perspective reminds me of NES Jaws!), and the fact that Nintendo developed a submarine game is very cool.

However, I'm totally not digging the strategy mode. I feel like I'm missing something by just guessing with the depth charge depths against the AI sub. And then when I am using my sub, and if I'm attacking the enemy sub, I can never seem to find the thing through the periscope.
 

Alexios

Cores, shaders and BIOS oh my!
7 levels isn't too bad if it's good/replayable... I'd pay full price for a new Metal Slug...
 
Alextended said:
7 levels isn't too bad if it's good/replayable... I'd pay full price for a new Metal Slug...

The levels are shorter than Metal Slug levels (especially MS3). That said, they're very replayable and fun.
 

Yuterald

Member
OMG! I just beat all 7 stages with all three subs and I unlocked motherfucking EXPERT MODE. It's all 7 stages with harder conditions, new enemy placements, etc. SO COOL! Holy shit, do these fucking reviewers/critics even play their games!? Seriously, no content my ass.

This is so awesome, that's why the requirements to activate all the Decals are high because there is a second set of stages. All of your Decals carry over and you can change difficult on the campaign select at anytime.

If you had ANY doubt to get into this game, BUY IT NOW. SUPPORT STEEL DIVER so we can get an even greater sequel! =)
 

Alexios

Cores, shaders and BIOS oh my!
That's pretty cool, has nobody else found that?

Let us know if you get anything if you complete expert with all three. But don't spoil it, just tell us if it's COOL or just neat.
 

sasimirobot

Junior Member
Wow the last page of this thread sold me on this game for sure!

It really needs an OT because most people still think it is a half-assed tech demo or something. This could be the 3DS's "Touch Go Yoshi" ,as in a very very under rated launch period game.

Is this out in Japan yet? I remember it got pushed back...
 

JoeFenix

Member
I've also been playing Steel Diver alot today and it's a really good little game.

The gameplay mechanics are really really tight, I love pulling off evasive maneuvers by controlling the multiple levers and switches on the touch screen. It feels pretty awesome!

There is a decent amount of gameplay in here, took me 5 hours to unlock expert mode and I still have all the time trials and dev ghosts to beat. I'm sure you get expert version of the time trials as well.

I think it's worth a purchase if you're looking for something different and are a completionist who likes to replay levels and unlock everything. People who want a campaign 8-10 hour setpiece cutscene fest should avoid this at all cost though.
 
Yuterald said:
OMG! I just beat all 7 stages with all three subs and I unlocked motherfucking EXPERT MODE. It's all 7 stages with harder conditions, new enemy placements, etc. SO COOL! Holy shit, do these fucking reviewers/critics even play their games!? Seriously, no content my ass.

:lol Friggin' reviewers. I still haven't beaten all 7, but I'm glad to know this. That's a pretty big omission if you're going to criticize a game for being short.

By the way, Yuterald, I asked earlier on this page about the air-to-sea bombs. Do you have any advice, having beaten the game?

sasimirobot said:
This could be the 3DS's "Touch Go Yoshi" ,as in a very very under rated launch period game.

Funny you mention that title. Yoshi's Touch and Go still remains my favorite title on DS. So addictive. It's precisely because of YT&G that I wanted to jump in early. I was afraid that if I bought a 3DS later, I'd probably just stick to the reviewers' picks and the AAA titles. I didn't want to miss a hidden gem.

Steel Diver might not rank as highly as YT&G for me yet, but it's definitely a unique experience that I wouldn't want to miss out on if I wasn't "forced" to pick from some experimental launch titles.
 

JoeFenix

Member
The masker works for the proximity mines which is really useful but I don't know any tricks against the air missiles. They do get annoying in the later levels!
 
JoeFenix said:
The masker works for the proximity mines which is really useful but I don't know any tricks against the air missiles. They do get annoying in the later levels!

Didn't know about the prox mine trick. That's awesome. My biggest problem is with the air missiles though. Springing a leak after getting hit by one can be death if you're throttling full speed and end up running into the walls or mines.
 

Yuterald

Member
Freezie KO said:
Didn't know about the prox mine trick. That's awesome. My biggest problem is with the air missiles though. Springing a leak after getting hit by one can be death if you're throttling full speed and end up running into the walls or mines.

Yeah, not sure what to say about air missiles yet either. There are decals for reducing air-to-sea damage, but I'd rather learn to deal with them and equip something better/more useful.

I only have the final boss stage on Normal to get the dev medal on, but it's really tough. It seems like whenever the ghost AI reaches the end of the stage he already has the boss defeated. Is it even possible to kill the boss of stage 7 before it hits the showdown area?
 

Foffy

Banned
It reminds me of the SNES days of games; very, very simple story and the game focuses on a number of levels about getting good scores.

It should have been $29.99 but it's not too bad at $39.99 if you want to do everything in the game.
 

Yuterald

Member
So, I keep discovering new things about this game. Get ready for this one...

There are Bronze, Silver, and Gold Developer Ghost Medals for all regular campaign missions and time trials. You can use any sub to gain the Gold Medal on any stage, but it seems like you have to use the sub that the AI uses to get the gold. Some of these are really hard. I was only able to manage a Gold on one of the time trial stages.

If anyone else can confirm this, it seems like the ghost AI upgrades and takes a more efficient path through the stage after you acquire one of the medals. Basically, the gold AI is harder to beat than the silver, and the silver AI is harder to beat than the bronze. The AI looks like it cuts corners quicker, etc. as you increase your medal position in each stage.

So, as far as I can tell, there are 66 Medals to earn in the game, unless there is an expert time trial mode which would make the medal count 90. Finish this game in less than 10 hours some say? O_O Good luck earning all these suckers! I know I'll be trying!
 

Yuterald

Member
More shit discovered! Seems like I am the only person in the world who cares about this game. =(

Discovered some more decals!!!

23. Crown: Lowers the health of enemy bosses. (10 required)
32. Whale: Unleashes a hidden power. (10 required)

WTF at the Whale Decal...what does that mean!? Each sub has some hidden potential! Holy shit this game is awesome! If there is a sub that has a super boost power, obtaining the Gold Ghost Medals are going to become even more fun!

Locations Update:

-8-10 & 30 Decals can be found on Stage 2. I also noticed some Decals from 1-7 can also be earned on Stage 2.

-32 can be found on EXPERT Stage 1. It seems really rare though. I have a feeling that the last two Decals are on EXPERT only and they may appear in all stages on this difficulty.
 
Yuterald said:
So, I keep discovering new things about this game. Get ready for this one...

There are Bronze, Silver, and Gold Developer Ghost Medals for all regular campaign missions and time trials. You can use any sub to gain the Gold Medal on any stage, but it seems like you have to use the sub that the AI uses to get the gold. Some of these are really hard. I was only able to manage a Gold on one of the time trial stages.

If anyone else can confirm this, it seems like the ghost AI upgrades and takes a more efficient path through the stage after you acquire one of the medals. Basically, the gold AI is harder to beat than the silver, and the silver AI is harder to beat than the bronze. The AI looks like it cuts corners quicker, etc. as you increase your medal position in each stage.

So, as far as I can tell, there are 66 Medals to earn in the game, unless there is an expert time trial mode which would make the medal count 90. Finish this game in less than 10 hours some say? O_O Good luck earning all these suckers! I know I'll be trying!

I care! But no way I could get a gold. I had some real trouble with the few bronze ghost medals I've tried for so far. I can't even imagine what these developers can do. They probably look like Goro, each arm wielding a retractable stylus.
 

Effect

Member
This game has been a lot of fun so far. Finally got a chance to play some of it this evening. Relaxing yet not at the same time due to the time limit you have you complete missions in. More then enough time for you to think about what you are going to do. Just looking at the different options, the times it should take you to complete missions the first time around with how the subs handle, the medals from racing ghost images, the time trial stages, etc I question if those that gave scores to this game even bothered to play the damn game. I don't think they did at all.
 
Foffy said:
It reminds me of the SNES days of games; very, very simple story and the game focuses on a number of levels about getting good scores.

Funny you say this because besides what you mentioned the briefing screen and the military type music that plays at certain parts gave me a vibe very similar to the original Pilotwings.
 

Yuterald

Member
JPBrowncoat said:
Are decals one-use? Like if I apply a decal can I take it off again or do I lose it?

The Decals are not one-use items. Once you earn a decal it is permanently yours. As mentioned above, you just need to acquire a certain amount of the same Decal to activate its ability.

So, I finished the game on Expert with all three subs and nothing unlocked. Some of the stages were pretty tricky and the game definitely expects you to experiment with different Decals at this point. I kind of was hoping for a new title screen or something after beating Expert, but who knows, I still don't have all the Gold Ghost Medals so you never know what secret or two may be hiding at the depths of the ocean, lol!

Anyway, I did, however, activate the mysterious Whale Decal and it's a pretty cool unlockable...
The Whale Decal turns your ship into a mechanical whale battleship. The eye of the whale glows red when you launch missiles too! Very cool! I am not sure if the ships are stronger or what when you apply this Decal, but it looks bad ass! When applied to each sub it seems to just change the color of the whale, but I am not sure what else it changes.
.
 

Ridley327

Member
Good call on the Expert mode; it definitely does present some interesting new challenges, especially the addition of
underwater torpedo turrets
.

I managed to get the Mario emblem and its ability is to turn your torpedoes into homing torpedoes at 10 decals.
 
wow, on the one hand I think the game is a massive rip off despite only paying $30 for it. 7 missions, and I completed the first one in 3 minutes LOL

OTOH it's just beautiful and an incredible showcase for the 3D (and motion sensing for the periscope). So to me personally, its well worth the cost, given I love submarine games and 3D aquariums.

It really is a shame Nintendo didnt move to DD here, not just lowering price to $10-$15 and keeping more profit margin (vs cost of goods, and retailer cut) but also meaning its more likely to have a sequel with more content. Traditionally Nintendo wait FOREVER to release sequels.
 

JoeFenix

Member
Beating all the time trials with all 3 subs doesn't seem to have unlocked anything.

People should check out this game though, there's more content here than you would think!
 

Tarin02543

Member
When is this releasing in EU? It might be the only launch 3ds game I have any interest in, as it is a new Nintendo IP and does remind me heavily of early SNES games (like Pilotwings).
 

Yuterald

Member
Earning Gold Medals is really fucking hard. I am still missing the Golden Falcon Decal and I need about 3 more to activate it. I am having trouble finding these in missions too. Does anyone recall where they may have received the Golden Falcon decals? The ability allows you to increase max forward/reverse speed so I am assuming it will help in a lot of the missions where there is a lot of forward movement versus diving/surfacing etc.
 

Yuterald

Member
Well, I found the Golden Falcon Decal in Stage 3, but it seemed incredibly rare. Anyway, I activated the Decal and it DEFINITELY helps getting the Gold Medals, but it's still tough as shit.

I have 28 hours logged with 35/66 Ghost Medals. I completely mastered the Time Trial mode, all trials beaten with all 3 subs and all gold medals earned. Some of those are really frustrating. At a certain point getting Silver Medals is a given. It's the Gold Medals that are ridiculous. Most Silver Medals can be earned with the right Decal with little effort, Gold, however, requires the right Decal & pinpoint precision.

A sub-tip for those looking to get Gold Medals, try attempting the Time Trial levels first before tackling the Mission Mode medals. A general rule to follow is to absolutely STAY ON TOP of the ghost sub when going for Gold and literally mirror their movements. It seems like at a certain point, usually near the end, the Gold Ghost AI will do something that slows them down a bit giving you the smallest window of opportunity to take the lead. I may do a youtube video on my account to properly display my theory as it's hard to understand if you are not rigorously attempting these runs.
 
Just finished the first few missions and I have gotta say...I'm enjoying it quite a bit. I mean, it certainly isn't for everyone, but I'm finding it a nice addition to the library. I caught it on gamefly, but Ill probably go back and get it.
 

Somnid

Member
Steel Diver is definitely one of those Wii Sports/Pikmin type games that demonstrates an interesting play concept in a rushed launch setting resulting in a short and shallow but fun game. So naturally it'll probably get a sequel that's fucking amazing.
 
Yuterald said:
Well, I found the Golden Falcon Decal in Stage 3, but it seemed incredibly rare. Anyway, I activated the Decal and it DEFINITELY helps getting the Gold Medals, but it's still tough as shit.

I have 28 hours logged with 35/66 Ghost Medals. I completely mastered the Time Trial mode, all trials beaten with all 3 subs and all gold medals earned. Some of those are really frustrating. At a certain point getting Silver Medals is a given. It's the Gold Medals that are ridiculous. Most Silver Medals can be earned with the right Decal with little effort, Gold, however, requires the right Decal & pinpoint precision.

A sub-tip for those looking to get Gold Medals, try attempting the Time Trial levels first before tackling the Mission Mode medals. A general rule to follow is to absolutely STAY ON TOP of the ghost sub when going for Gold and literally mirror their movements. It seems like at a certain point, usually near the end, the Gold Ghost AI will do something that slows them down a bit giving you the smallest window of opportunity to take the lead. I may do a youtube video on my account to properly display my theory as it's hard to understand if you are not rigorously attempting these runs.

I'd be very interested to see user speed runs if you do this.
 

MrMephistoX

Member
It's a very fun game but most definitely over priced. I might buy it at $20 but still wouldn't put it past Gameloft to release a competent clone on iOS.
 

Yuterald

Member
MrMephistoX said:
It's a very fun game but most definitely over priced. I might buy it at $20 but still wouldn't put it past Gameloft to release a competent clone on iOS.

I really think the price can be justified depending on the person. I have over 30 hours now and I am just now making headway with Normal Mode Gold Medals and have yet to even attempt Expert Mode Gold Medals. There is plenty of value in this game. The developers REALLY wanted the player to earn all the Decals, experiment with them on stages, and go for the Gold.

If the game didn't have Gold Medals, Expert Mode, or the Decal system then I would have shared the same sentiment as most who have reviewed and played the game. However, that is not the case so I do not believe it's fair to state that the game is short and lacking 'content'. You can beat the old Starfox, Pilotwings games, etc. in a sitting and those games had similar score/ranking replay systems so why bag on Steel Diver when it's trying to be that sort of game?

To be a broken record, if you are one to just 'clear' a game and call it quits then no shit this game is going to feel bare bones and empty. But that's not how the creators intended you to play the game. The Decal system is in place for you to take advantage of their abilities and strive for perfection in the Ghost Trials. There is absolutely 50-60 hours of gameplay tucked away into Steel Diver, but it's only there for those willing to invest the time.
 

theBishop

Banned
Looks like a fun game to me, but is it really a "New IP" in the usual sense?

I know technically there are copyrights and trademarks associated with Everyday Shooter or N+, but I wouldn't call them "IP" in the sense of a franchise.
 

Chorazin

Member
I got this for free with Amazon credits, so I guess I should give it a shot soon since everyone here is saying it's rather excellent!
 

Skiesofwonder

Walruses, camels, bears, rabbits, tigers and badgers.
What Yuterald has been preaching in this thread is right on point. Reviewers now-a-days are idiots. I'm 6 hours in, still trying to unlock level seven in the campaign mode, while gaining a bronze medal on all time travel levels and trying to finish each with all three subs. I've only touched the periscope mode once but that seems more like a "hey show this to your friend!" type thing, but using it to find decals in the campaign is really fun. Haven't even scratched the strategy game mode yet but it has ten maps I believe (though I have admit this mode doesn't seem to be my thing, relies too much on luck IMO and too much waiting around).

Anyways, Steel Diver is extremely addictive, some of the most pure fun I have had with a handheld title since Canvas Curse. PilotWings Resort is underrated but what people are doing to this game is a travesty. Steel Diver is the best launch title by quite a margin (IMO).

Oh and hrom my findings and reading reports of people who HAVE ACTUALLY PLAYED THE GAME, Steel Diver has around 15-20 hours of content, if not more.
 
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