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[A Black Falcon]

We'll see how the gameplay compares, but visually at least this looks quite nice I think.

Interview/announcement video (German language with English translation in the text box): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-XRNuVFKiE
More offscreen gameplay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj2y90WzH-M

More screenshots and videos are coming, supposedly. I'd like to see gameplay videos with sound and better quality...

Quote from the interview about the game:

Y: And you also put a lot of effort in your new game, a new topgame which you also have with you today.

M: Right, we have been working for six years now on a game called "Sturmwind" (Stormwind) you can see here in the background. It has been developed by a two-man-team from Baden-Württemberg (German region) called "Duranik", and right now, we've shown this game to the public for the first time ever, and with this show, this report, the preordering starts, which can be reached at www.redspotgames.com/shop where you can take a first glance and buy the game.

Immediately starts advertising, huh. I'll wait until we hear more about the actual gameplay first, if they make this game impossibly hard like the first three or so versions of Last Hope I doubt I'll get it. Challenge is good (I like R-Type despite its difficulty...), but that game... Of course, this is from different people from Last Hope or Dux, but it's hard not to compare them when those are the past retail homebrew Dreamcast shooters (well, Neo-Geo and Dreamcast, for Last Hope).

On that note, as much as I like R-Type, I'm hoping that this doesn't turn out to be another R-Type clone, the DC homebrew-retail scene already has two of those in Last Hope and Dux. It doesn't look like it at first glance, but more gameplay details and videos should make that clear one way or the other. I'm definitely interested, though, the game makes a good first impression.

The visuals look impressive from the little we've seen so far, though. I think this is the first polygonal retail homebrew Dreamcast game? Rush Rush Rally Racing, Wind & Water Puzzle Battles, Last Hope, Dux, Fast Striker (another shmup from the Last Hope team, for Neo-Geo (released this year) and Dreamcast (coming soon), looks bullethell-ish?)... those are all 2d games. This one has some polygonal graphics (mixed with 2d or something, evidently?)

Featurelist from the Redspotgames store:

Features:

* 16 Levels
* 3 selectable difficulty levels
* configurable controls
* adjustable screen position
* different weapons selectable
* More than 20 large bossenemies
* Hundreds of different enemies
* FMV intro sequence
* Hybrid 2d/3d game engine
* Resolution 640x480
* PAL50, PAL60, NTSC and VGA (with Adapter) compatible
* Region Free
* Works with any MIL-CD compatible Dreamcast
* CDDA Sound
* Supports: Joypad, Arcade Stick (Analog/Digital), VMU, Rumble Pack
* (configurable)
* Internet WEBcode Hiscore Tables
* Award Trophy System with unlockable content

Internet webcode support seems not too useful with how so few people have either working dialup internet or a Dreamcast broadband adapter, but there being 16 levels is interesting... will this be a pretty long game, or will the levels be short?

It's always interesting to see more Dreamcast homebrew, yet another shmup or no. I like shmups, and who knows, this one could be good. We'll see. Coming spring 2011, supposedly.

 

[Windom Earle]

Very nice OP. I've lost touch with the DC shmup scene a bit, the last game I bought was Last Hope. Will definitely try to pick this up.

 

[sixteen-bit]

Online high scores is an impressive feature despite the potential userbase being limited.
Game probably won't be my cup of tea, but good luck to the devs. Looks like a real labor of love.

 

[Emitan]

I think I might buy a Dreamcast. I still can't believe people make games for it.

 

[Ellis Kim]

I... really want this to get ported to PSN/XBL :x Does that make me a bad person?

 

[Glix]

Do they release this on the net, for $$? Or free?

Is it actually a disc release? I'm totally fascinated!

 

[Fularu]

I... really want this to get ported to PSN/XBL :x Does that make me a bad person?

Yes... they will sell it for 50-60$ , not for 10

 

[sixteen-bit]

Do they release this on the net, for $$? Or free?

Is it actually a disc release? I'm totally fascinated!

It's a for profit doujin release. Packaged game with inserts and all that, but I believe it's on a CD-R, as GD-Rs are no longer manufactured.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

It's kind of novel that there's still indie games coming out on the system... but let's be real, guys. These shmups have been pretty bad.

 

[JustAnotherOtaku]

I haven't played a DC shmup since Last Hope. Not really a fan of these Euro shooters, I was much happier when we were getting Under Defeat, Karous, Trigger Heart and so on. Then again, Japanese shmups have found a home on the J-360 for the most part and I'm happy enough to play them that way.

Always makes me smile though when I hear of a new Dreamcast game, regardless of whether I'll play it or not

 

[Boerseun]

Great job on the OP, Black Falcon!

That looks AMAZING! I'm going to Germany for a couple of months. Hopefully this comes out soon so I can pick it up while I'm over there.

 

[lightless_shado]

Very impressive. Glad to see people are still playing around with the DC hardware

 

[A Black Falcon]

I... really want this to get ported to PSN/XBL :x Does that make me a bad person?

Rush Rush Rally Racing is getting a WiiWare port, so that one at least is getting a port somewhere (though Last Hope and Fast Striker are multiplatform too, Neo-Geo and Dreamcast... and Neo-Geo CD too, for Last Hope). It'll obviously depend on what the development team decides, though, the teams are different.

It's kind of novel that there's still indie games coming out on the system... but let's be real, guys. These shmups have been pretty bad.

This is only the third of them though, after Last Hope and Dux... and yeah, those two games were somewhat lacking, but this is by a different team. It could be good, give it a chance... but sure, it is a Euroshmup and not Japanese, they do have different styles, considering that Last Hope and Dux are both R-Type clones). As I said though this doesn't really look like another R-Type game, which would be nice. Could go either way though I'm sure, we'll see. The graphics certainly look good, at least.

Do they release this on the net, for $$? Or free?

Is it actually a disc release? I'm totally fascinated!

Sold for money, and shipped to you in a real jewelcase on a disc. Making new homebrew-ish games for old systems and actually selling them for money is something that started with the Atari 2600 community, I believe, and there are some out or coming for a lot of platforms now -- there have been retail homebrew releases for the Atari 2600, Odyssey, Odyssey 2, Colecovision, Intellivision, Atari 5200, Atari 7800, Atari Lynx, Atari Jaguar, Sega Genesis, Turbografx CD, Sega CD (several cancelled games from the mid '90s only, not any actual new titles), NES, 3DO (a cancelled game from the mid '90s or two only), and more... basically any platform they can.

Really, the main restriction is how hard it is to run a game on the system. If it requires a mod chip to play unlicensed titles on the system, then there probably won't be retail homebrew like this. I don't know of any for any system that requires modding to run unlicensed games. As a result, it's really not just the fact that the Dreamcast is a popular hardcore gamer system and relatively recent, but also that it'll run burned discs with no modding required, because of that design flaw people exploited. Back during the system's life that was mostly used for piracy, but now it allows this. The Dreamcast is the most recent console that you can play unlicensed games on without modification or hacking.

On that note, one reason the SNES hasn't gotten any indie/homebrew cart releases is because it's got better protection against unlicensed games. You need a special Nintendo chip on your cart to get the game to work in the system. The first ever homebrew SNES cart release was just recently announced, Nightmare Busters (an unreleased game from the mid '90s). I wonder what their solution to the lockout will be.

Yes... they will sell it for 50-60$ , not for 10

Yeah, the game's going to be 35 euros. That's about $50 (delivery included I think) (for some reason Redspotgames' store only lists prices in Euros, though you can buy from anywhere of course). Obviously production costs take up some of that -- getting the jewelcases, pressed CDs (they don't just use burned CD-Rs), shipping, etc. costs something -- but still that's certainly going to make you more money than a $10 download title will, on a per-sale basis.

 

[solarplexus]

new trailer (direct feed)

http://www.gamefront.de/archiv12-2010-gamefront/6011.html

 

[Fortinbras]

This looks amazing.

 

[SmokyDave]

Still got my DC hooked up, I'm going to have to grab a copy of this.

I love the fact that the DC has gone on to get so much posthumous support. It's never going to die.

 

[iconoclast]

Wow. I'm surprised that the graphics actually look great. Looks like we can add this to the extremely short list of good looking 2.5D shooters.

 

[Monty Mole]

Those screens just scream Dreamcast. The graphics just have that look to it. I'm getting all nostalgic again now.

 

[Gagaman]

Wow, looks really nice! The graphics remind me of Soldner X a little.

Speaking of new dreamcast shooters, Fast Striker by the makers of Last Hope and Dux is now out and shipping. It's another port of a Neo Geo game. http://www.faststriker.com/

Also Redspotgames have made permanent reductions on some of their previous Dreamcast indie games, including including Rush Rush Rally Racing DX (which comes with the soundtrack CD) for £18.60 / $29.25 and Wind and Water Puzzle Battles for £8.45 / $13.30.

Both games are excellent especially if you're not a scrolling shooter fan, and the latter in particular is an absolute bargain at that price. For under ten pounds you're getting a huge puzzle game with a story mode that is full of great writing, and very deep mechanics. Check out a video review I made for it back when it was first released: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07pN6Gqgyw4

Rush Rush Rally is apparently on it's way to both Wiiware and PSN Minis in the near future. It's also good fun if you liked Micro Machines and other top-down 2D racing games.

 

[A Black Falcon]

new trailer (direct feed)

http://www.gamefront.de/archiv12-2010-gamefront/6011.html

Woah... it looks even more incredible in good quality. It looks really nice, easily the best work yet from a homebrew Dreamcast game...

Rush Rush Rally is apparently on it's way to both Wiiware and PSN Minis in the near future. It's also good fun if you liked Micro Machines and other top-down 2D racing games.

RRRR's not bad, but it's a high-speed, low-visibility racing game; it's sort of like the GB or GG versions of Micro Machines 2, or something. You've got to memorize every track because you can't see what's coming up, all you have to go on really are the little arrows telling you the upcoming turn -- but that won't be enough, memorization is central. I love the Micro Machines series, and RRRR could be worse (with no arrows for instance), but it is frustrating at times.

It's fun enough, but I wish either it'd been zoomed out more or it wasn't as fast, really. Also, the graphics, while decently good, don't push the system like Sturmwind here looks like it's doing.

Anyway though, Sturmwind is looking really impressive. Great trailer, I'm definitely looking forward to this one.

 

[kinggroin]

So why does this look better than every wii game and on par visually with most 360 shmups? Is that video misleading?

 

[Drkirby]

You know, it is starting to get a bit annoying with these small print Dreamcast shumps. It was cool the 3 or 4 years ago when the Dreamcast just exited production in Japan, but come on, give your games a wider release.

 

[Raife]

So why does this look better than every wii game and on par visually with most 360 shmups? Is that video misleading?

The Dreamcast was just that awesome.

Not sure actually but I was playing a few shooters that came out later in the life of the system today and I was shocked by how good the visuals do hold up.

You know, it is starting to get a bit annoying with these small print Dreamcast shumps. It was cool the 3 or 4 years ago when the Dreamcast just exited production in Japan, but come on, give your games a wider release.

It might be, as a previous poster mentioned, that it is easy to circumvent copy protection on the Dreamcast. It really is simply burning a CD-R and packaging it up nicely. Later systems all require some sort of chip or other mod to play unlicensed software.

 

[A Black Falcon]

You know, it is starting to get a bit annoying with these small print Dreamcast shumps. It was cool the 3 or 4 years ago when the Dreamcast just exited production in Japan, but come on, give your games a wider release.

Rush Rush Rally Racing - Getting ports to PSN and WiiWare
Wind & Water: Puzzle Battles - Upgraded port of a (homebrew of course) GP2X game
Dux - DC exclusive
Last Hope - port of a homebrew Neo-Geo and Neo-Geo CD game (more features than the original Neo-Geo release, fewer than the Neo-Geo CD release)
Last Hope: Pink Bullets - improved DC-only version of the above title
Fast Striker - port of a homebrew Neo-Geo game

Basically, except for RRRR, the DC versions generally ARE the "wider release" versions, the other systems these games are on are even more niche.

It might be, as a previous poster mentioned, that it is easy to circumvent copy protection on the Dreamcast. It really is simply burning a CD-R and packaging it up nicely. Later systems all require some sort of chip or other mod to play unlicensed software.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that has to be a big reason why the DC gets these games. You couldn't do it with any newer system, "this is a game I want money for but only people with modded systems can play it" isn't exactly the same.

So why does this look better than every wii game and on par visually with most 360 shmups? Is that video misleading?

Why do many Gamecube games look better than a lot of Wii games? Lots of Wii games don't come even close to using the power of the system. The ones that do certainly look better than this, as good as it looks. But yeah, the visuals of this game sure look impressive, the number of years this has evidently been in development shows. Let's just hope it plays as well as it looks.

 

[Go319]

Sega CD (several cancelled games from the mid '90s only, not any actual new titles)

! Any further info on this or a link?

 

[A Black Falcon]

! Any further info on this or a link?

Nothing much interesting, unfortunately, but there were some releases.

http://www.gooddealgames.com/inventory/Sega CD.html

Mighty Mighty Missile is a Chu Chu Rocket clone, homebrew game. Could be good, not sure. The other games there are canceled '90s games from various states of completion. I've heard Burning Fists:"Force Striker isn't very good. Don't know about Battletech: Grey Death Legion, but it's just a no-sound demo. Timecop is also an early demo only. BBug Blasters, Citizen X, and Star Strike are unreleased but complete or just about complete FMV games, whether you're interested depends on if you like Sega CD FMV games. Marko (platformer) and Battle Frenzy (FPS) are games released on multiple platforms, including the Sega CD in Europe, but not the Sega CD in the US until these releases, though Marko at least did get a US Genesis release. Marko on other platforms is sometimes also called Marko's Magical Football, and Battle Frenzy is also known as Bloodshot.

The other homebrew Sega CD release is the freeware Sonic Megamix, which uses Genesis Sonic sprites and such to create a new game. It's actually pretty good... it's an ISO you burn yourself. http://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_Megamix

 

[shuri]

I dont think there has been a single one of those dc homebrew shmups worth giving a damn. If those devs were serious, they would try to get them published on XBLA/PSN

 

[Tellaerin]

I dont think there has been a single one of those dc homebrew shmups worth giving a damn. If those devs were serious, they would try to get them published on XBLA/PSN

So 'serious' = 'going the most commercial route possible' now?

Look at something like Cave Story. Pixel wasn't the one who contacted Nicalis about getting the game ported to Wii. If they hadn't approached him about porting it, it would probably still be just a freeware doujin game for PC. Does that mean that Pixel 'wasn't serious' about his game because he didn't aspire to selling it on XBLA/PSN/WiiWare, and that people automatically shouldn't give a damn about it?

tl;dr: It's stupid to classify someone as 'not serious' and dismiss their work as crap just because they didn't target the most popular/profitable platform when developing a game.

 

[entremet]

I dont think there has been a single one of those dc homebrew shmups worth giving a damn. If those devs were serious, they would try to get them published on XBLA/PSN

Finding a publisher isn't easy. With this they control the means of distribution.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

If this game really is good, the devs really should try to get it on XBLA/PSN since most people who develop games and try to sell them for money would like more money and not less.

 

[Munin]

From what I've heard from the publisher it's not that they don't want to get it onto any other platform - but with XBLA/PSN the main issues are file size limitations (the backgrounds in most stages are FMV-based I believe) as well as the fact that they would have to redraw/rerender all the art assets for HD resolution (which again, considering the technologies used here and the small dev budget would be a huge effort). Ports for PC and iPhone/iPad are, meanwhile, under consideration.

 

[Tain]

It's kind of novel that there's still indie games coming out on the system... but let's be real, guys. These shmups have been pretty bad.

Yeah, no doubt.

It is really good looking though. Nutty.

 

[indigo-cyclops]

If this game really is good, the devs really should try to get it on XBLA/PSN since most people who develop games and try to sell them for money would like more money and not less.

For whatever reason you just made me laugh hysterically. Is it even viable to build and develop a Dreamcast game for profit at this point? Don't get me wrong DC is without a doubt...

 

[A Black Falcon]

If this game really is good, the devs really should try to get it on XBLA/PSN since most people who develop games and try to sell them for money would like more money and not less.

Why must every game be on a modern system? What if the developers really like an older one and would rather challenge themselves with making a real game for an old console? I think it's pretty cool to do stuff like that, myself, and there are more than enough classic gaming fans out there to keep these games selling in small print runs for quite a variety of systems. They're not doing it for the most profits, they're doing it for their love of the systems (or in classic gaming in general) and for the challenge, I would guess. Makes sense to me at least.

 

[Atomski]

Finding a publisher isn't easy. With this they control the means of distribution.

The obvious question is why not PC? They would not need a publisher and would have a vastly bigger group to sell to.

 

[A Black Falcon]

New video, showing a new area. You can't see it too well, and people are talking over it (it's from some thing Sega of America people did on Justin.tv) but still it's nice to see more footage of the game...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWnLJwvTW8Q

 

[A Black Falcon]

http://www.redspotgames.com/sega-dreamcast-2d-3d-hybrid-shoot-em-up-sturmwind-postponed/

The game's been delayed to November. Given how little we'd heard about it, and that it was supposed to be released around now, I'm not surprised. I just hope that they're right that the delay will increase the quality of the game, I'm still hoping this will be a good game.

 

[Hurtin4Certain]

I own Last Hope and admittedly didn't like it much.

But I will buy & support this regardless because I've been a shmup whore since the 80s.

Spoiler

Also, cuz Dreamcast.

 

[Notorious_Roy]

Delayed again, but now with firm date: 22-12!

Also, limited edition with soundtrack, mini guide and figurine.

http://www.redspotgames.com/shop/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=34

 

[bede-x]

Still amazed that you can find developers willing to put in so much effort knowing that they're launching on a dead system.

Have they said how many copies they're printing?