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The Mega-Cave Shooter Post, because they're totally awesome and sweet

Tain

Member
Weird. I assumed the limit might have been legit since Daioujou actually ran at a significantly higher resolution than their SH3 games.
 

BOTEC

Member
Weird. I assumed the limit might have been legit since Daioujou actually ran at a significantly higher resolution than their SH3 games.

It makes no sense to allow iPod 4th gen, but not iPad 1 since they share the same chipset and RAM. The only physical difference being a lack of front facing camera on iPad, which shouldn't be necessary for a game like this. My conspiracy theory is that there exist performance issues between the two platforms, since Mushihime runs like crap on my iPad, but is super smooth on iPod. Totally weird.
 
I imagine they forced the App Store restriction by adding the front facing camera requirement, even though the game doesn't actually use it. All because of what? They didn't want to actually test the game with older devices? Do they not like money?
 

japtor

Member
IIRC, all Cave iOS games have an introductory discounted price. Go for it!
I think they switched that up with Bug Princess, maybe they're trying $5 flat to start now...but discounting older apps. DDP Resurrection is on sale for $6 right now.
It makes no sense to allow iPod 4th gen, but not iPad 1 since they share the same chipset and RAM. The only physical difference being a lack of front facing camera on iPad, which shouldn't be necessary for a game like this. My conspiracy theory is that there exist performance issues between the two platforms, since Mushihime runs like crap on my iPad, but is super smooth on iPod. Totally weird.
More pixels on iPad (786,432 vs 460,800, 70%!) which might eat more into RAM or mess with the fillrate I guess.
 

Theonik

Member
I just bought DaiFukatsu and DaiOuJou on my 4S. Are any of the other Cave games worth looking into there? Anything I should know about ports etc?
 
Deathsmiles is by far their most polished iOS release. A bit of a grindfest though if you care about collecting items in the smartphone mode and don't go for the in-app purchases.

Beyond that, all you're missing is Espgaluda II (their first release, also has an HD version that only works on iPad 2), Bug Princess (solid, no frills but less expensive, like Blissful Death) and Bug Panic (an interesting take on a twinstick shooter). All except maybe Bug Princess have Lite versions if you want to try before you buy.
 

Theonik

Member
Hmmm, I ended up also getting Mushihime and also downloaded the lite versions for ErpgaludaII and Deathsmiles. The later I didn't really like how it controlled on a touch screen, I have the 360 version though so that's hardly an issue, would probably pick it up whilst on a sale etc.
 

SOME-MIST

Member
I hope we get some more mushihimesama HD news soon. I'm dying for a release date and information on the game modes.

During the mean time, I finally 1CCed Akai Katana Arcade mode with type 2 L=0/5, Bx0 two weekends ago
2012-02-05131211-1.jpg

now I plan on focusing a lot of my time on either battle garegga, ketsui, or muchi muchi pork.
 

Saroyan

Member
So I just bought an Xbox 360 last week and I've bought Deathsmiles and Otomedius so far.
I ordered DoDonPachi from the UK over the weekend and I saw that it has DLC. Can I buy the DLC for it on a US live account? I don't know how that works for live or if its like psn and I won't be able to get it.

I'm also looking for shmup suggestions, I saw there are quite a few available on xbla, any gems on there that are a must play?
 

SOME-MIST

Member
on XBLA: guwange, strania, ikargua, radiant silvergun
GoD: Deathsmiles IIX
Disc: mushihimesama futari and espgaluda II
I probably wouldn't recommend MMP/PS to most people as it's one of the harder cave shmups to get into, but it's also region-free.
 
So I just bought an Xbox 360 last week and I've bought Deathsmiles and Otomedius so far.
I ordered DoDonPachi from the UK over the weekend and I saw that it has DLC. Can I buy the DLC for it on a US live account? I don't know how that works for live or if its like psn and I won't be able to get it.

I'm also looking for shmup suggestions, I saw there are quite a few available on xbla, any gems on there that are a must play?

The Dodonpachi Resurrection DLC currently is only available from the European marketplaces. It's trivial to make a UK gamertag however, just need another email address. Any content you buy (whether DLC or XBLA games) will work for any gamertag signed in on the same 360 the content was purchased on.

Also note that Rising Star Games has announced they will be releasing Akai Katana Shin in the US, so you have that to look forward to as well.
 
The second quarter of this year is drawing nearer. I hope there will be a fixed european release date for Akai Katana soon. There hasn't been any news on that, right?
 
This doesn't pertain specifically to Cave but I didn't want to make a new thread. How do you guys handle games with Tate mode, like the 32-bit era shmups on Saturn and PSX? The only rotatable displays I've ever seen are computer monitors. Do you set it to Tate mode and turn of pad rotate and just play a vert shmup like a hori shmup?

The reason I ask is because I've been playing Gunbird on Saturn recently and I find it much easier in Tate because everything's bigger on my 16:9 HDTV. Would be cool to play it 'correctly' in Tate-mode.
 

skullwolfgp

Neo Member
Yeah tiny CRT is where it's at. Only issue I ever have is if you turn mine on while it's not tated, it turns wacky colors when you tate due to degauss happening only when the set is switched on.

I have another question about tate - do the Japanese pronounce it "Tah-Tay" or "Tay-toh" or something else? Edit: Thanks!
 
Huh, I wonder if the 4:3 image on my 42" HDTV is already basically as big as it needs to be even when not in Tate mode. Maybe I need to sit closer!

I also wonder about pronunciation...
 

ponpo

( ≖‿≖)
Yeah I guess most people just rotate their CRTs.

I bought a rotating stand for my asus 236h which works great.
 
Be mindful that unless you went out of your way to get an IPS (or better) LCD panel, playing with it rotated will look REALLY terrible (with half of the image faded).

Of course, that is for PC monitors, I think most HDTVs should have acceptable vertical viewing angles. Well, actually, some of those low cost 30" and under TVs might not.
 
Be mindful that unless you went out of your way to get an IPS (or better) LCD panel, playing with it rotated will look REALLY terrible (with half of the image faded).

Of course, that is for PC monitors, I think most HDTVs should have acceptable vertical viewing angles. Well, actually, some of those low cost 30" and under TVs might not.

It's the horizontal viewing angle that you want to worry about, as this is what becomes the vertical viewing angle when you rotate the screen.

And yes, most monitors that don't come with rotating stands are probably better left unrotated, both for viewing angle issues and potential problems with ventilation. I rotated my old 22" Samsung with TN film once at a convention and had about as hard a time getting a good viewing angle on it as I do with my 3DS. It also started blanking itself randomly for a few seconds at a time after a few hours, presumably due to overheating.
 

japtor

Member
Before when I had a 27" CRT I dedicated my previous 27" CRT to tate usage. Well that and I had a cab which got most of the play time once I got that.

Now I have a 42" LCD, and the combination of the bigger size and higher resolution (display itself and the console output) makes it fine for me without rotating. A big thing about rotating with older consoles is that you got a big increase in detail which made them easier to see/play but I don't find it as necessary now since HD is enough to display everything.

Of course if you rotate now you still get the huge size increase for your troubles. I sit close enough that that's not a big need for me, but it makes sense if you have a smaller screen or farther viewing distance.
 

BOTEC

Member
I used to have a big ass boxy 32" set that I'd rotate for Saturn/PSX stuff. I've since gotten rid of it, and my current CRT isn't contoured to stand on its side, so I'm SOL at the moment. I picked up a VGA box that I can use to hook up a PS2 using component cables to my PC monitor that pivots, which is its own special headache. It only rotates clockwise, so unless a game supports a "vertical (rotate)" option I'm shooting in the wrong direction. Same with Dreamcast.
 
I used to have a big ass boxy 32" set that I'd rotate for Saturn/PSX stuff. I've since gotten rid of it, and my current CRT isn't contoured to stand on its side, so I'm SOL at the moment. I picked up a VGA box that I can use to hook up a PS2 using component cables to my PC monitor that pivots, which is its own special headache. It only rotates clockwise, so unless a game supports a "vertical (rotate)" option I'm shooting in the wrong direction. Same with Dreamcast.

Have you tried detaching your monitor from the stand and reattaching it rotated 90 degrees so that it'll pivot the other way? Doesn't always work, but worth a shot.
 

BOTEC

Member
Have you tried detaching your monitor from the stand and reattaching it rotated 90 degrees so that it'll pivot the other way? Doesn't always work, but worth a shot.

I never thought about it, but now that I am, I don't think the monitor is detachable. I definitely tried poking at it to see if I could modify the hinge to swing the other way but no go. It's no big deal, since all 360 shooters can be rotated six ways from Sunday. It's just the old school stuff that's incompatible.
 
Alright, so I'm determined to get into (and get better at) shooters, and I know Cave does them best (especially these days). A few random noob-ish questions, in no particular order:

* I was considering importing some region-free Japanese 360 ports, but I don't want to spend big bucks if Cave is just going to bring them here or toss them up on XBL like Deathsmiles 2. What's the current word on that? Should I import something, or wait? If the former, what's a good one to start with (available for not an insane amount of cash, approachable for a noob)? For stuff available in NA, I already have Deathsmiles and Guwange.

* I downloaded DoDonPachi Resurrection for the iPhone, and it's pretty awesome, but I'm having trouble figuring out the system and a scoring strategy. For one thing, I don't follow the Hyper Charge system - how do you store charges to get the 2X and 3X charge and the Hyper Cannon? Generally, what's the best strategy to survive and score?

* What's the preferred shooter stick/controller? I tried my modded Fight Stick for Deathsmiles and a few other shooters (Ikaruga, Raiden Fighters Aces) but it felt too tight and clicky for precise control. I went back to my 360 controller using the analog stick. Am I crazy?
 

BOTEC

Member
Alright, so I'm determined to get into (and get better at) shooters, and I know Cave does them best (especially these days). A few random noob-ish questions, in no particular order:

* I was considering importing some region-free Japanese 360 ports, but I don't want to spend big bucks if Cave is just going to bring them here or toss them up on XBL like Deathsmiles 2. What's the current word on that? Should I import something, or wait? If the former, what's a good one to start with (available for not an insane amount of cash, approachable for a noob)? For stuff available in NA, I already have Deathsmiles and Guwange.

* I downloaded DoDonPachi Resurrection for the iPhone, and it's pretty awesome, but I'm having trouble figuring out the system and a scoring strategy. For one thing, I don't follow the Hyper Charge system - how do you store charges to get the 2X and 3X charge and the Hyper Cannon? Generally, what's the best strategy to survive and score?

* What's the preferred shooter stick/controller? I tried my modded Fight Stick for Deathsmiles and a few other shooters (Ikaruga, Raiden Fighters Aces) but it felt too tight and clicky for precise control. I went back to my 360 controller using the analog stick. Am I crazy?

Yes. How extensively was the stick modded? You might want to swap out the actual lever mechanism with something manufactured by Seimitsu. That's usually considered the go-to part for shooters. The Sanwa sticks used for fighting games are way too loose and imprecise, so that may be why you didn't like it.

As for recommendations, I'd say Mushihimesama Futari Ver.1.5. It's region free, it's fun, and easy to understand. Shoot the bad guys until they blow up. No crazy meters, chains, hyper cannons, etc.
 
I use a Hori RA PRO VLX and a Madcatz TE Stick for the xbox.

For my supergun i use 2 x Happ Sticks.

In terms of games for the 360, i like Espgaluda II, Deathsmiles 1, DDP. Theyre all good man tbh...just get what you can afford. I have about 10 cave games and i dont dislike any of them.
 
As for recommendations, I'd say Mushihimesama Futari Ver.1.5. It's region free, it's fun, and easy to understand. Shoot the bad guys until they blow up. No crazy meters, chains, hyper cannons, etc.

Mushihimesama Futari's scoring system has a lot more depth than that - I wouldn't say it's any less complicated than any of Cave's other offerings available on 360. All of their games can be played while completely ignoring the scoring mechanics though, if that's not something you care for.
 
Alright, so I'm determined to get into (and get better at) shooters, and I know Cave does them best (especially these days). A few random noob-ish questions, in no particular order:

* I was considering importing some region-free Japanese 360 ports, but I don't want to spend big bucks if Cave is just going to bring them here or toss them up on XBL like Deathsmiles 2. What's the current word on that? Should I import something, or wait? If the former, what's a good one to start with (available for not an insane amount of cash, approachable for a noob)? For stuff available in NA, I already have Deathsmiles and Guwange.

Supposedly, Cave will be releasing most of their games on Games on Demand in Japan. No word yet if they will show up here or if they will be region free.

If you want to import I recommend Mushihimesama Futari. It's region free, and it's a greatest hits game so it shouldn't cost too much these days. It's also my favorite shmup. ^_^

* What's the preferred shooter stick/controller? I tried my modded Fight Stick for Deathsmiles and a few other shooters (Ikaruga, Raiden Fighters Aces) but it felt too tight and clicky for precise control. I went back to my 360 controller using the analog stick. Am I crazy?
Use whatever input device you like. I play most shmups on a playstation pad and some may cringe at that but whatever. I love that D-Pad though. I actually bought an adapter to use a PS1 controller on the 360 as well. So use what you want. Arcade sticks (seimetsu parts preferably), controllers, keyboards, whatever works for you.
 

BOTEC

Member
Mushihimesama Futari's scoring system has a lot more depth than that - I wouldn't say it's any less complicated than any of Cave's other offerings available on 360. All of their games can be played while completely ignoring the scoring mechanics though, if that's not something you care for.

Ha ha, guilty as charged. I do ignore scoring mechanics, but I still feel Mushihime has the easiest one to wrap ones head around.
 
Anyone find a desk mount that rotates and holds a 36'' LCD monitor? The largest ones I can find are 30''.

Ha ha, guilty as charged. I do ignore scoring mechanics, but I still feel Mushihime has the easiest one to wrap ones head around.

I love the scoring mechanics in Mushi Futari, but completely ignore them in Mushihimesama. Futari Normal is easy enough to understand and I love the Futari Maniac scoring system. I'm pretty terrible at playing for score though.
 
Supposedly, Cave will be releasing most of their games on Games on Demand in Japan. No word yet if they will show up here or if they will be region free.

If you want to import I recommend Mushihimesama Futari. It's region free, and it's a greatest hits game so it shouldn't cost too much these days. It's also my favorite shmup. ^_^


Use whatever input device you like. I play most shmups on a playstation pad and some may cringe at that but whatever. I love that D-Pad though. I actually bought an adapter to use a PS1 controller on the 360 as well. So use what you want. Arcade sticks (seimetsu parts preferably), controllers, keyboards, whatever works for you.
Cool, thanks guys. The Platinum Hits Mushihimesama Futari is available for $40. If they're not bringing a disc over here for less I'm cool with that. I'd rather pay $40 for a disc now than $30 and a wait for a download if it goes on GoD eventually.

BOTEC said:
How extensively was the stick modded? You might want to swap out the actual lever mechanism with something manufactured by Seimitsu. That's usually considered the go-to part for shooters. The Sanwa sticks used for fighting games are way too loose and imprecise, so that may be why you didn't like it.
Yeah it has a Sanwa stick. It needs to travel too far to click and register as a direction. Works great for fighting games, but not very well for shooters. I don't want to spend a bunch of cash on a dedicated shooter stick ATM, so I'll make do. Maybe I'll try my FightPad too - maybe that'll at least be better than the 360 controller.
 
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