Aaaaand got it. Ikaruga is the better game and RS isn't the easiest to get into, but it's been too long since the XBLA release.
Spent more than an hour already on the game. It's addictive. And still hard as nails even on normal.
I remember the XBLA version being very generous with continues? Infinite credits were the only way I could see the game's ending, and those cray cray final bosses.
XBLA version you unlock one credit per hour in arcade mode - and one life per hour in Saturn/Story mode.
Can anyone confirm the Switch version works this way too?
Saturn/Story mode is the full game with many more bosses and additional levels.
I actually somehow 1 credited the game in Arcade mode on Xbox Live. I used to know this game inside and out.
Story mode allows you to save the level of your weapons on each replay of the game. This is both good and bad.
-Good because you can progress quicker and easier and see more of the game on each playthru.
-Bad because with maxed out weapons earlier than you should, you are missing out on so many of the bullet patterns and transformations Treasure programmed into these bosses - playing a saved game with leveled up weapons, you wont see even a fraction of what each boss does.
The xbox port had two big 'flaws' in my opinion:
-First, it removed slowdown - which makes some bullet patterns (especially the last boss) very tough and tougher than it was intended and played on Saturn.
-Second, as mentioned you only got a single life per hour in Saturn/Story mode compared to a full credit on the Sega Saturn. So there's theoretically no way to unlock Free Play in Story mode. Free Play was a great reward after a large chunk of hours on the Sega Saturn because you could see the full game from level 1 and play stress free and see all the bosses and see all of their attack patterns. On the Xbox port you would have to play for 100 hours in story mode to unlock 99 lives.
Ikaruga and Silvergun are very different games. Ikaruga is more of a puzzle game where Silvergun is the ultimate skill based eye-hand coordination test. Not much memorization - just reflex skills and fair, and even slow, bullet patterns. RS has maybe 60 times more bosses than Ikaruga, seriously.
Radiant Silvergun is my favorite shmup and maybe favorite
GAME of all time.
The Sega Saturn is still the best way to play but its awesome more people get a chance to play it.