BocoDragon said:
THIS IS AWESOME.
I'm using the Xbox 360 controller and it's only letting me use the analog stick.... must I use something like Pinnacle Game Profiler to use the D-Pad?
Unfortunately the joystick controls are completely unchangeable, and it's mapped to joystick 1 only (which is a problem for me, usually I have my joystick plugged in as joystick 1, and my gamepad(s) as joystick 2 and beyond; having to unplug the joystick just to play some games is a pain!), with movement to the X-Y axis only, and fire as the 1 button and use special as 2. That makes it unplayable on any gamepad where the dpad isn't the X-Y axis, unfortunately, unless you use some kind of key mapping software (and that is never as good as a real gamepad axis, in my experience). It's too bad.
As for the game itself, it's alright, good graphics and music. The controls somehow feel 'slippery' or something though (or maybe overly precise?), it's hard to avoid running into things, and with a couple of speed powerups you are perhaps too fast. Getting through narrow passages is quite difficult in this game, which can be a problem. Also the powerup system ensures that if you die you're doomed, and it takes longer than even Gradius to power up; this system isn't necessarily a problem, as Gradius is my favorite shmup series and I like Gradius' powerup system due to all the options and choices. This one, however, which more like Silpheed gradually unlocks weapons as you get through the game but only allows you to swap them between levels, isn't quite Gradius. Also, it punishes you for dying by reducing weapon power, and then restarts you at bosses when you die, too, instead of sending you to a checkpoint just before the boss, allowing you to get a couple of powerups, as Gradius games do. That can be annoying, beat the boss on your first try or play the whole level over pretty much! This makes it harder and less fun than it otherwise would be. I want to like the game, but as of how far I've gotten (a couple levels in), I don't really like the controls, and the gameplay's just good. Oh yeah, and it's annoying that enemies can all shoot through and pass through walls but you can't, with your basic gun!
Or am I just annoyed that I can't beat the second level (which has two bosses and is twice as long as level 1), while I am able to beat actual '80s shmups like R-Type... but this doesn't really play like an '80s shmup. There are far too many bullets on the screen moving far too fast for it to really be something like a Gradius and R-Type game. It's not bullet-hell (no beautiful patterns, so far at least), but it's not Gradius. I've been playing Gradius ReBirth recently, fantastic game...
But anyway, yeah this game is good, and I'm having fun so far, but I definitely have a few issues with it.
Oh, and I have a 4:3 monitor. Why is this game widescreen only, when it scrolls up and down? I know some vertical shmups do that, but I've never heard of it with horizontal ones... a fullscreen option would be better.
