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Fight'N Rage - A welcome addition to the beat 'em up genre! [Steam]
- Thread starter ChamplooJones
- Start date
deadscreensky
Member
No, there are no tech problems, basic rollback netcode works perfectly in this situation. We can already play official releases like Final Fight and Dungeons & Dragons online without issue, and using emulators we can play tons of other games in the genre (to say nothing of other genres with similarly tight control demands). Online play in beat-em-ups is a solved problem and has been for many years now. There's no reasonable technical excuse.
The game looks awesome, and I understand that developer resources are really tight here so there were other priorities. But sadly missing online means I'm probably not going to be buying it for $20, and I do think it's going to discourage a lot of other would-be buyers too.
I'll definitely plan to grab it on a sale down the road.
Would be cool if the game explained it uu
If I recall correctly, the S meter and how it works is briefly explained at the very start. I guess it might be possible to skip right through the text box though.
Shadowhaxor
Member
The game does explain it to you - right at the start. It's a very long segment as well.
ElectricThunder
Member
The dev is just the one guy, his backend is seemingly incredibly largely self-wrought if the end credits screen is any indication compared to commercial titles from the likes of Capcom and such, there's just no way online wouldn't have been a huge reach that could've easily derailed the entire project(it is a damn field of corpses out there in the fullness of even just modern times for those that sought multiplayer to the point that the core single player experience slipped right through their fingers and plummeted them to their doom) to bludgeon it together and at a high standard especially as it would have ongoing support issues that would multiply out from it. You can't hold an especially niche solo indie title to a standard that is "industry"/mass collab solved given this situation is far too afield.
Odds are the dev will continue to support and Do Stuff with the game going forward, so it is possible and thematically appropriate that he could pull a skilled rabbit out of his hat to beat down the problem---but I'd have to guess for sanity that other things have much higher priority and better opportunity costs.
I get that online is a big deal for folks these days given lack of arcades and local isn't always, or at all, possible---but there's definitely far in excess of $20 worth of good times wrought in this that hopefully folks don't elect to miss out on it entirely and/or at least wishlist it for a sale down the line.
mikezilla2
Member
Looks pretty Rad will give it a look in the Future
Press buuttons by accident, skip intro. I learned the hard way as well lol.
thelatestmodel
Junior, please.
Looks awesome, adding it to the wishlist!
DaBargainHunta
Member
Still contemplating whether I want to drop $20 on this glorious looking game.
1. I don't care about online play. I realize I'm the only one. The fact that this was created by one dev is a miracle in itself, and some of you may be expecting too much IMO.
2. The criticisms of the name Gal are baffling, to say the least. I mean, you've all heard of this gal, right? It's a real name!
3. As someone else pointed out, Gal is a humorous homage to Final Fight's Guy. I'm impressed with how much of the DNA from other beat-em-ups seems to bleed into this one.
(Again, I don't own the game and obviously haven't played it, so I'm basing my comments on screenshots, other people's impressions, etc.)
1. I don't care about online play. I realize I'm the only one. The fact that this was created by one dev is a miracle in itself, and some of you may be expecting too much IMO.
2. The criticisms of the name Gal are baffling, to say the least. I mean, you've all heard of this gal, right? It's a real name!
3. As someone else pointed out, Gal is a humorous homage to Final Fight's Guy. I'm impressed with how much of the DNA from other beat-em-ups seems to bleed into this one.
(Again, I don't own the game and obviously haven't played it, so I'm basing my comments on screenshots, other people's impressions, etc.)
ElectricThunder
Member
Ah yes, here we go: When Neo-GAF'ers Attack care of good old Tetsuo starting to dig in deep and and chase down those endings, albeit with, well, Rage at times, considering how punishing the game can be while you come to grips with it and honestly seems like will keep even experienced players on their toes in perpetuity. I mean, it is right there in the game's title so~
I hope to eventually see YT awash with 1CCs and all manner of crazy things to endure for the ages...MAYBE this can even sneak in to the big 1CC Fest Twitch marathon coming in November...
How Gal can (start) to get stupidly powerful:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg8yefibTxs
Above referenced Normal 3CC with said blossoming-breakage Gal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxO0U2_37Bo
I gotta say, as far as how this handles route mechanics---much more elegant/crafty than something like SoRR even at just this slice of things, though some indications could use a bit more telegraphing as to when you are about to miss your chance to take them up on it.
I hope to eventually see YT awash with 1CCs and all manner of crazy things to endure for the ages...MAYBE this can even sneak in to the big 1CC Fest Twitch marathon coming in November...
How Gal can (start) to get stupidly powerful:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg8yefibTxs
Above referenced Normal 3CC with said blossoming-breakage Gal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxO0U2_37Bo
I gotta say, as far as how this handles route mechanics---much more elegant/crafty than something like SoRR even at just this slice of things, though some indications could use a bit more telegraphing as to when you are about to miss your chance to take them up on it.
Tetsuo9999
Member
This game is the real deal, and it's a shame people are passing on it due to the base price and lack of netplay. The only things that annoy me about it is how quickly fatigue sets in with the relatively long runs, and some of the armored enemies. If the runs were shorter, I'd play it way more than once a day, but everything else about it is solid. It captures that old-school feel of getting better with skill rather than grinding out stats, which is hard to find in this era. My time practicing with Gal has made the game so much more fun and manageable. The run posted above was only my second full one, and my first one took several more credits.
pretty done
Member
Or I'll just skip it since I don't have anyone to play with locally. Game looks rad tho
It's not a 2D beat em up game without the female characters having boob physics! I wonder if the Haggar-like character has chest physics.
All jokes aside, I think it looks great! If I had a decent laptop that ran it without a hitch, I would have probably have checked it out as a massive beat em up game fan. I don't mind the fact that it lacks online co-op because I would play it with my brother. It seems like it a ton of content.
That being said, I hope it sells decent enough come to consoles someday. Between this and Way of the Passive Fist, it's nice to see some solid indie beat em up games out this year. Will subscribe to the thread to keep tabs on it.
All jokes aside, I think it looks great! If I had a decent laptop that ran it without a hitch, I would have probably have checked it out as a massive beat em up game fan. I don't mind the fact that it lacks online co-op because I would play it with my brother. It seems like it a ton of content.
That being said, I hope it sells decent enough come to consoles someday. Between this and Way of the Passive Fist, it's nice to see some solid indie beat em up games out this year. Will subscribe to the thread to keep tabs on it.
PetriP-TNT
Member
Wishlisted!
DaBargainHunta
Member
As cheap as I am, and as much as I try to wait for bundles, etc., I realize it's important to actually support cool games and good devs once in a while. I decided to do that here with Fight'N Rage.
My very early impressions:
It's a small file (200+ MB) and installed quickly. Needless to say, it runs perfectly on my laptop. It starts off with filters to make the game look more like an old arcade game - I disabled all of them because I'm never going to feel like I'm at an arcade when I'm playing from my couch on a laptop, ya know?
This is definitely the long lost cousin of all those '80s arcade beat-em-ups, and there are branching paths right off the bat, which is cool. You can choose to "escape" at the beginning, which takes you on a completely different path.
Gameplay and controls are rock solid. This is as polished as any arcade beat-em-up from the '80s/'90s. If I had to pin down an art style, I'd say it reminds me of the old TMNT arcade game. One of the characters, Gal (an homage to Final Fight's Guy and possibly a nod to "Wonder Woman" Gal Gadot), has a very silly bouncing boob animation, lol.
If I had to nitpick anything, I don't love the backgrounds...yet. I'm still very early into the game though.
There's no game save, so you can't jump right back into the stage you were on (wouldn't surprise me if there ends up being a code for this though, or a fan patch). There's also no online play - local multiplayer only - but I'm one of the few people who doesn't care about that.
Sound effects are really nice - some cool little details, like the clang clang of a pipe as you hit someone with it.
You can also unlock stuff as you progress (different modes, etc.).
Most games promise the nostalgic retro arcade experience, but Fight'N Rage actually delivers it!
My very early impressions:
It's a small file (200+ MB) and installed quickly. Needless to say, it runs perfectly on my laptop. It starts off with filters to make the game look more like an old arcade game - I disabled all of them because I'm never going to feel like I'm at an arcade when I'm playing from my couch on a laptop, ya know?
This is definitely the long lost cousin of all those '80s arcade beat-em-ups, and there are branching paths right off the bat, which is cool. You can choose to "escape" at the beginning, which takes you on a completely different path.
Gameplay and controls are rock solid. This is as polished as any arcade beat-em-up from the '80s/'90s. If I had to pin down an art style, I'd say it reminds me of the old TMNT arcade game. One of the characters, Gal (an homage to Final Fight's Guy and possibly a nod to "Wonder Woman" Gal Gadot), has a very silly bouncing boob animation, lol.
If I had to nitpick anything, I don't love the backgrounds...yet. I'm still very early into the game though.
There's no game save, so you can't jump right back into the stage you were on (wouldn't surprise me if there ends up being a code for this though, or a fan patch). There's also no online play - local multiplayer only - but I'm one of the few people who doesn't care about that.
Sound effects are really nice - some cool little details, like the clang clang of a pipe as you hit someone with it.
You can also unlock stuff as you progress (different modes, etc.).
Most games promise the nostalgic retro arcade experience, but Fight'N Rage actually delivers it!
robotzombie
Member
Hoya Destroyer
Member
I noticed this game on Steam yesterday. Gals boobs really stood out and made me take a closer look.
I wish the art style during the gameplay was less cutes-wutsey and more like Final Fight or Streets of Rage, but I'll probably pick this game up eventually.
I wish the art style during the gameplay was less cutes-wutsey and more like Final Fight or Streets of Rage, but I'll probably pick this game up eventually.
One Foul Note
Member
Looks solid and I like my beat em ups. Sadly with Steamworld Dig 2 out I can't really justify buying two games in the same week, but this is a wish listed game for sure and I will keep an eye out for it during a dry spell or in the big steam sales.
That's the main reason I'm reluctant to get it. SoR is my all-time favorite game series, and the goofy graphics of this game turns me off.
I can handle the "cutesy-wutesy" design, but yeah, it's not exactly copying any beat-em up I can think of other than Scott Pilgrim.
My biggest problem is, well, the boobs. I looked at previews for this game, & it's not just her: every female character has large, barely covered breasts that flop at the slightest hint of movement. I want to bite as a huge fan of 90s beat-em ups, but the attempt at sex appeal is too sleazy for me to overlook it.
I mean, there's a reason people are concerned the character's name is "Gal." It may be a real name, & it may be a Final Fight nod, but you can't help but feel some sexism's at play after seeing that character design.
I guess the reason that isn't really a big issue for me is a combination of growing up in the midst of SNK games with an inclination for occasional cheesecake, from proper beat 'em ups like Sengoku 3 all the way to practically every KOF, plus the artwork as a whole reminds me of the super deformed cuteness of Puzzle Fighter/Mighty Final Fight mixed with licensed arcade beat 'em ups such as Bucky O'Hare/Cowboys of Moo Mesa due to the whole animal theme.
Finaika
Member
Is the designer a 12 year old?
davidwhangchoi
Member
is there a move that is so OP that it breaks the game? if not, it's not a true beat em up.
dddddouble dragon elbow smash.
dddddouble dragon elbow smash.
DaBargainHunta
Member
Has any kind of "stage select" or "continue where you left off" code been discovered? Yes, I know that flies in the face of this game's old-school vibe, but my skills have atrophied after 20 years of hand-holding in games and general old age. 
SocksAndShoes
Banned
This game is fucking incredible. It's the perfect blend of Guardian Heroes fighting system and the aesthetic and goofiness of 90's beat em ups like Final Fight, TMNT and Streets Of Rage. The soundtrack is perfect, branching paths add depth.....I could go on and on. Suffice it to say, this will be in my top 5 for GOTY. It's superb.
I knew a couple of girls back in high school who referred to their other, younger sister, precisely thusly.
True story.
That's when I became aware of mammary envy.
Kain-Nosgoth
Member
Just heard of it today, bought it instantly, such a good game! Beat it after 2 hours but man, the last boss wasn't that hard, but the way until him i had to retry a lot of time! Don't know if i'll ever be able to beat it in harder difficulties!
Kain-Nosgoth
Member
it seems i missed the best sages... didn't get the colorfull ones, only the dark and gritty ones
is there a route chart?
is there a route chart?
Tye The Czar
Member
The girl's name, is Gal.
I kind of can't help but giggle at the stupidly exaggerated fanservice to the point where it gets comical. I enjoyed it in Bayonetta and anime like Kill La Kill and KonoSuba, and this looks to follow suit.
Kain-Nosgoth
Member
ho come on.... Got ending H two time even though i pick different character and path
No online coop? No buy.
Get on 2017s standards or be forgotten until you come up in a humble bundle in 6 months time.
Edit:
A post that debunks the complexity of online implementation on this kind of games AND moves it to bargain bin for that very same reason? Ma man!
We need to stop with these, there are things coded in that game that are way harder than a server-centric online implementation. There are frameworks to do that for you and even plugins for major engines that will streamline that A LOT. Plus you dont need fighting game precision.
Get on 2017s standards or be forgotten until you come up in a humble bundle in 6 months time.
Edit:
A post that debunks the complexity of online implementation on this kind of games AND moves it to bargain bin for that very same reason? Ma man!
We need to stop with these, there are things coded in that game that are way harder than a server-centric online implementation. There are frameworks to do that for you and even plugins for major engines that will streamline that A LOT. Plus you dont need fighting game precision.
Not sure about the route chart but these are the endings I believe:it seems i missed the best sages... didn't get the colorfull ones, only the dark and gritty ones
is there a route chart?
Ending A
Escape -> help village girl -> take forest detour -> dont take detour to basement.
Ending B
Dont escape -> dont save the hostage -> take forest detour -> dont take detour to basement.
ALTERNATIVE : Dont escape -> save hostage -> dont take secret passage -> take forest detour -> dont take basement detour.
Ending C
Dont escape -> save the hostage -> take secret passage -> take forest detour -> dont take detour to basement.
Ending D
Escape -> help village girl -> dont take forest detour.
ALTERNATIVE : Escape -> help village girl -> take forest detour -> take basement detour.
Ending E
Escape -> dont help village girl -> dont take forest detour.
ALTERNATIVE : Escape -> dont help the girl -> take forest detour -> take basement detour.
ALTERNATIVE 2 : Escape -> dont help the girl -> take forest detour -> Dont take basement detour.
Ending F
Dont escape -> save the hostage -> take secret passage -> dont take forest detour.
ALTERNATIVE : Dont escape -> save hostage -> take secret passage -> take forest detour -> take basement detour.
Ending G
Dont escape -> save the hostage -> dont take secret passage -> dont take forest detour.
Ending H
Dont escape -> dont save the hostage -> dont take forest detour.
ALTERNATIVE : Dont escape -> save hostage -> dont take secret passage -> take forest detour -> take basement detour.
ALTERNATIVE 2 : Dont escape -> dont save the hostage -> take the forest detour -> take the basement detour.
Escape -> help village girl -> take forest detour -> dont take detour to basement.
Ending B
Dont escape -> dont save the hostage -> take forest detour -> dont take detour to basement.
ALTERNATIVE : Dont escape -> save hostage -> dont take secret passage -> take forest detour -> dont take basement detour.
Ending C
Dont escape -> save the hostage -> take secret passage -> take forest detour -> dont take detour to basement.
Ending D
Escape -> help village girl -> dont take forest detour.
ALTERNATIVE : Escape -> help village girl -> take forest detour -> take basement detour.
Ending E
Escape -> dont help village girl -> dont take forest detour.
ALTERNATIVE : Escape -> dont help the girl -> take forest detour -> take basement detour.
ALTERNATIVE 2 : Escape -> dont help the girl -> take forest detour -> Dont take basement detour.
Ending F
Dont escape -> save the hostage -> take secret passage -> dont take forest detour.
ALTERNATIVE : Dont escape -> save hostage -> take secret passage -> take forest detour -> take basement detour.
Ending G
Dont escape -> save the hostage -> dont take secret passage -> dont take forest detour.
Ending H
Dont escape -> dont save the hostage -> dont take forest detour.
ALTERNATIVE : Dont escape -> save hostage -> dont take secret passage -> take forest detour -> take basement detour.
ALTERNATIVE 2 : Dont escape -> dont save the hostage -> take the forest detour -> take the basement detour.
Kain-Nosgoth
Member
this is too good not to buy, but i agree, no online play sucks a lot! I wish i could play this with friends...
yeah just saw the chart on steam guide! Thanks anyway... i was unlucky enough to take both H routes
wait, so this is a modern beat 'em up with an arcade level structure? no persistent character upgrade silliness, but something one could sit down with and try to single-credit clear over and over again?
I'm not ultra-thrilled about the aesthetics and this is a genre that I have a big ol backlog in, but I may pick it up regardless. Lack of online play isn't an issue for me.
I'm not ultra-thrilled about the aesthetics and this is a genre that I have a big ol backlog in, but I may pick it up regardless. Lack of online play isn't an issue for me.
Trust me I WANT to buy this, a lot. It's just I know for a fact I won't play if I can't play with my friends and doing it locally its not possible for me as I'm living abroad.
And it's definitely not about money, I dont care if it's an indie or a full AAA, I'll pay whatever I think it's worth if it's worth to me, that is I would fork out 30$ in a heartbeat if I can play how I want to play it. It also seems to have a decent-sized campaign so why the hell not.
Such a pity. It pains me as much as it pained me to have to skip enter the gungeon last year.
I wish this game would have online instead of mediocre games of the sort like river city ransom underground, goddammit.
PS: Moonlight sucks and every other play on lan online workaround
Ah that sucks on the same route both times. A complete route chart would be very helpful for different playthroughs for sure. Here's hoping someone's already working on it lol.
How's the local multiplayer? Fun? Might pick this up for my roommate and I.
I seriously have never laughed harder at a gaf post, thank you for this.Also I agree on art style.
I seriously have never laughed harder at a gaf post, thank you for this.Also I agree on art style.
Kain-Nosgoth
Member
Klart
Member
Ditto.
Muahaha awesome, thanks!
Finally got this, sat down, and beat it once through with my brother last night. It really is a great old-school throw-back, and probably one of the most legit fusions of older and newer BEU details, with a heavy skew to the solid old details.
I didn't become a huge master of parry, even though the game is designed to allow you to do this. People don't appreciate how NICE it is to see properly made enemies that telegraph their movements, and have recognizable animations and behaviors. I think this is one of the things that not even many OLD games did well (especially the more Arcadey Konami School of games). Even animating the "GET OFF ME!" anti-grapple from the bosses helps show how well the game understands that CHARACTER ACTION should be the "tutorial" for what's going on in a game, not speech bubbles and needing to look stuff up online. Those are fine, but arcade games were build up pick-up-and-play, not pick-up-and-then-need-a-video-or-book-to-understand-how-to-beat-stage-1, lol.
Combo system feels nice and intuitive. I love being able to cancel my blow-back attacks into jump down + attack, normal jump attack, and then into a free SP meter special, all for a nice, solid juggle chain. Or how dashing attacks leave the enemy floating in the perfect spot for a punch chain after recovery. In this way, the dev seems to understand how I want to move better than many SNES era BEUs, which always ended up feeling needlessly obtuse, and lacking in responsiveness (though I still enjoyed them.)
On to the graphic style... it's aces, and I find it funny anyone is bothered by the "cute" aspect. It... doesn't lean on being "cute" at all. It just looks like this is what the artist is good at, and he developed it well. "SD"-ish style just makes faces big enough to see, limbs pronounced enough to stand out, and it does a good job of helping the wide-screen real-estate feel as if it's being fully used.
I also love the fact that there's a nice amount of sprite variation in the bonus colors, and defaults. Seeing things like hair bows disappear, outfits change, mask being added, and even the characters modified to be normal mooks, is a good way to expand the cast while still making everything nice and beautifully animated.
On the fanservicey nature of Gal and the Girls... MAN, a lot of modern sprite artist can't resist animating breasts really, really smoothly. I mean... it works, but it's so prevalent. It's not as over-blown as some other things out there, and it doesn't really go beyond "look they move a lot!", which I'm thankful for. All the guys are also awesome looking beefcake example of muscle, and there's more of them than there are females, so...
The biggest takeaway for the art is that it's original, not a "Me Too!" or basically anything else out there, and actually seems to understand the basic boundaries that old arcade games sat within. It's not Hyper-Violent, Hyper-Vulgar, or even Hyper-Cute, or cheerful. It's not trying to out-do anything to get cheap attention, it's just doing what it does, and doing it really well. This feels pretty rare in the world now-a-days, so I appreciate it.
Onto the lack of online play... eh. People Begged and BEGGED for online in a lot of old XBLA games, and on many modern console games, and it's amazing how much of a ghost-town titles will STILL be, and how little they'll be discussed, even if the feature is added. It seems more and more evident that having online doesn't just simple guarantee sales of success. You have to make solid lobbies, saved and account sharing and use have to be adjusted for it, and often times gameplay will be changed at the base level, to make the offline experience match up with the online expectation. Getting solid Local to work first should always be a preceding matter, because Online will always be a system-extension of good Co-Op, first. And before that, just making a good game.
Also note that you can buy a mode (with in-game currency, earned by score) to get a CPU partner to fight alongside you. It's not perfect Co-Op, but it's one that's a smart addition, that not many games of this type ever add.
Adding online could do nothing but help the game now, though, so it'd be great to see it added. Like... if SEBA can get it onto consoles, Online should definitely be one of the biggest additions at the time.
Oh, and the music is also great. It is VERY ASW-like, but... I might like it better, due to more instrument variety than some of their games. The style is loud and bombastic, but it never felt predictable. I was refreshingly impressed with the next stages themes.
Last Shout-out, YAY FOR ALTERNATE PATHS! Most branches seem obvious, so it definitely draws me to dive right back in later. I actually would have been OK with less stages per path, and more paths in exchange. But the way it works out seems solid.
-----
On the downsides? I do slightly wish there was something to help pick your character out of a crowd. Your colors are unique, sure, but with modern-pixel-game use of faux lighting, darker areas can make the image of character-and-flesh meld together. I actually DIDN'T have much personal issue, because the responsive controls gave me a great since of screen awareness. But I can see this being a large hassle for others.
None of the unlockable characters seem to be usable in the Arcade Mode? Doh! I can see why, but I'd have liked to been able to play a "bonus character" path, or a mode without any story, with the mooks. Maybe an extra mode will allow this?
It's great. My Brother and I beat a path with Gal andGuy Norris, and it was great fun all the way through. We also didn't encounter any glitches.
I didn't become a huge master of parry, even though the game is designed to allow you to do this. People don't appreciate how NICE it is to see properly made enemies that telegraph their movements, and have recognizable animations and behaviors. I think this is one of the things that not even many OLD games did well (especially the more Arcadey Konami School of games). Even animating the "GET OFF ME!" anti-grapple from the bosses helps show how well the game understands that CHARACTER ACTION should be the "tutorial" for what's going on in a game, not speech bubbles and needing to look stuff up online. Those are fine, but arcade games were build up pick-up-and-play, not pick-up-and-then-need-a-video-or-book-to-understand-how-to-beat-stage-1, lol.
Combo system feels nice and intuitive. I love being able to cancel my blow-back attacks into jump down + attack, normal jump attack, and then into a free SP meter special, all for a nice, solid juggle chain. Or how dashing attacks leave the enemy floating in the perfect spot for a punch chain after recovery. In this way, the dev seems to understand how I want to move better than many SNES era BEUs, which always ended up feeling needlessly obtuse, and lacking in responsiveness (though I still enjoyed them.)
On to the graphic style... it's aces, and I find it funny anyone is bothered by the "cute" aspect. It... doesn't lean on being "cute" at all. It just looks like this is what the artist is good at, and he developed it well. "SD"-ish style just makes faces big enough to see, limbs pronounced enough to stand out, and it does a good job of helping the wide-screen real-estate feel as if it's being fully used.
I also love the fact that there's a nice amount of sprite variation in the bonus colors, and defaults. Seeing things like hair bows disappear, outfits change, mask being added, and even the characters modified to be normal mooks, is a good way to expand the cast while still making everything nice and beautifully animated.
On the fanservicey nature of Gal and the Girls... MAN, a lot of modern sprite artist can't resist animating breasts really, really smoothly. I mean... it works, but it's so prevalent. It's not as over-blown as some other things out there, and it doesn't really go beyond "look they move a lot!", which I'm thankful for. All the guys are also awesome looking beefcake example of muscle, and there's more of them than there are females, so...
The biggest takeaway for the art is that it's original, not a "Me Too!" or basically anything else out there, and actually seems to understand the basic boundaries that old arcade games sat within. It's not Hyper-Violent, Hyper-Vulgar, or even Hyper-Cute, or cheerful. It's not trying to out-do anything to get cheap attention, it's just doing what it does, and doing it really well. This feels pretty rare in the world now-a-days, so I appreciate it.
Onto the lack of online play... eh. People Begged and BEGGED for online in a lot of old XBLA games, and on many modern console games, and it's amazing how much of a ghost-town titles will STILL be, and how little they'll be discussed, even if the feature is added. It seems more and more evident that having online doesn't just simple guarantee sales of success. You have to make solid lobbies, saved and account sharing and use have to be adjusted for it, and often times gameplay will be changed at the base level, to make the offline experience match up with the online expectation. Getting solid Local to work first should always be a preceding matter, because Online will always be a system-extension of good Co-Op, first. And before that, just making a good game.
Also note that you can buy a mode (with in-game currency, earned by score) to get a CPU partner to fight alongside you. It's not perfect Co-Op, but it's one that's a smart addition, that not many games of this type ever add.
Adding online could do nothing but help the game now, though, so it'd be great to see it added. Like... if SEBA can get it onto consoles, Online should definitely be one of the biggest additions at the time.
Oh, and the music is also great. It is VERY ASW-like, but... I might like it better, due to more instrument variety than some of their games. The style is loud and bombastic, but it never felt predictable. I was refreshingly impressed with the next stages themes.
Last Shout-out, YAY FOR ALTERNATE PATHS! Most branches seem obvious, so it definitely draws me to dive right back in later. I actually would have been OK with less stages per path, and more paths in exchange. But the way it works out seems solid.
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On the downsides? I do slightly wish there was something to help pick your character out of a crowd. Your colors are unique, sure, but with modern-pixel-game use of faux lighting, darker areas can make the image of character-and-flesh meld together. I actually DIDN'T have much personal issue, because the responsive controls gave me a great since of screen awareness. But I can see this being a large hassle for others.
None of the unlockable characters seem to be usable in the Arcade Mode? Doh! I can see why, but I'd have liked to been able to play a "bonus character" path, or a mode without any story, with the mooks. Maybe an extra mode will allow this?
It's great. My Brother and I beat a path with Gal and