Japanese Shooters Find New Home on Xbox 360

[allistairp]

Japanese Shooters Find New Home on Xbox 360

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Tired of Western shooters? Good news! Xbox 360 Games on Demand will offer unaltered Japanese retail titles starting next week.

The first foreign entry for the service is Japanese bullet hell shmup Deathsmiles IIX. Cave's sequel to it's 2007 arcade and console hit Deathsmiles was announced via the developer's Facebook page. Deathsmiles IIX will be sold for $29.99 on May 17 via Games on Demand. For now, the game will only be available for North America.

The Facebook [a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=173066562748318&set=a.124926057562369.28301.112992778755697&type=1&theater"]post[/a] continues: "Xbox 360 producer Makoto Asada mentions that we were approached by Microsoft with the opportunity, and we will be giving this format a try for getting some of our Japan-only shooters released overseas."

This is very exciting news for both Japanese game fans and shmup lovers, as Cave is one of the best currently in the business. Xbox 360 has long been the favored platform for shmupdevelopers in Japan, due to cheap development cost. Titles such as Guwange (another Cave release) and Strania -- The Stella Machina found their way to a Western audience through Xbox Live Arcade, but the ability for foreign developers to upload previously released Japanese retail games to Games on Demand could open a new door for Western fans of niche genres and foreign titles.

It's appropriate that Microsoft approached Cave for this project, as the developer is one of the most ambitious ones out there. Between releasing iOS ports of its games (DoDonPachi Resurrection, Espgaluda II) and taking a gamble on putting out the original Deathsmiles on Western shelves (with a special edition, no less), Cave is always looking for new avenues for its games. Maybe, Games on Demand is what Cave has been looking for.

Deathsmiles II wasn't the most warmly received Cave title by critics and arcade enthusiasts - mostly, due to the developer stepping away from its signature colorful sprites - but it's great to see the developer increase its presence in the West.

So, download Cave's Christmas-themed shmup on May 17, fire a couple witch pellets at evil Santa Claus and Rudolph, and maybe we'll get Games on Demand releases for Pink Sweets & Muchi Muchi Pork, Mushihimesama Futari Ver 1.5, and other Japanese games in time.

Source: [a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/34660/Xbox_360_To_Get_First_On_Demand_Japanese_Import.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GamasutraNews+%28Gamasutra+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader"]Gamasutra[/a]

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[Owlslayer]

Isn't 29.99 a bit much for it? Though, to be honest, i have no idea how games are being priced on Games on Demand, and maybe the game has a great story, or loads of replay value, or something else. Seriously, i have no idea, that's why I'm asking.
And this also reminded me how crazy the Japanese are. But crazy in a good way.
Also, haven't heard the word "shmup" before.

 

[Dragonpit]

The ungodly difficult Mushihimesama Futari on an America Xbox 360? Jackpot!!

 

[XT inc]

Isn't 29.99 a bit much for it? Though, to be honest, i have no idea how games are being priced on Games on Demand, and maybe the game has a great story, or loads of replay value, or something else. Seriously, i have no idea, that's why I'm asking.
And this also reminded me how crazy the Japanese are. But crazy in a good way.
Also, haven't heard the word "shmup" before.

I forget where I read it on this site, but I think there was something from someone at microsoft who said there was no reason to adjust prices for games on demand compared to used and retail copies of the game.

They mentioned something about keeping prices up and the consumer is more or less paying for the luxury of not having to go out and buy the game.

 

[Wierdguy]

Sheesh! Its impossible to see whats going on on the screen with all that fire and stuff.

 

[TheTygerfire]

Gotta love the Engrish version of Joy to the World ^_^

 

[jakko12345]

ooof that looks bad. Hell of a soundtrack though

 

[de5gravity]

omg This game looks nuts! Ugh, 3rd game now to add to the "I wish I had a 360" list.

 

[SageRuffin]

The ungodly difficult Mushihimesama Futari on an America Xbox 360? Jackpot!!

I wish I knew this earlier. I had to shell out $50 at a con to get a region-free copy. :/

 

[Dragonpit]

The ungodly difficult Mushihimesama Futari on an America Xbox 360? Jackpot!!

I wish I knew this earlier. I had to shell out $50 at a con to get a region-free copy. :/

Look on the bright side; you got to try it before anyone else.

 

[Delusibeta]

Isn't 29.99 a bit much for it? Though, to be honest, i have no idea how games are being priced on Games on Demand, and maybe the game has a great story, or loads of replay value, or something else. Seriously, i have no idea, that's why I'm asking.
And this also reminded me how crazy the Japanese are. But crazy in a good way.
Also, haven't heard the word "shmup" before.

I forget where I read it on this site, but I think there was something from someone at microsoft who said there was no reason to adjust prices for games on demand compared to used and retail copies of the game.

They mentioned something about keeping prices up and the consumer is more or less paying for the luxury of not having to go out and buy the game.

I think that was when they were trying to sell Halo Reach for £50 in the UK Games on Demand store, at a time when Amazon was selling it for about £30. It's also the reason why digital distribution is most likely to happen to PC games first: they allow competitors.

That said, $30 sounds fairly reasonable for this, since I'll imagine it would have attracted a full price release in Japan. Of course, your mileage depends on your tolerance to many factors, most notably BULLET HELL.

 

[Faux Furry]

That song in the DeathSmiles trailer had best be in the game if the folks at CAVE know what's good for them. Going by their wise decision to release this game as an download, I'd say that they indeed do know what's good for them and thus, the song is in the game. Airtight logic, that.

Titles with niche appeal like these are exactly what digital downloads seem to have been made for.
You really don't want a bunch of teenage witches in frilly dresses competing for shelf space with walking granite sculpture Marcus Fenix or grim and gritty hard-boiled police detectives or sociopaths who kill guys like that for fun (by beating them over the heads with huge purple 'adult toys', no less), do you?

 

[TrevHead]

Isn't 29.99 a bit much for it? Though, to be honest, i have no idea how games are being priced on Games on Demand, and maybe the game has a great story, or loads of replay value, or something else. Seriously, i have no idea, that's why I'm asking.
And this also reminded me how crazy the Japanese are. But crazy in a good way.
Also, haven't heard the word "shmup" before.

(Im gonna go into detail about the genre, I hope it helps anyone understand the attraction of these games since its usually abit of an enigma to modern western gamers, plus I keep putting off plans to make a Youtube video about the subject, so this is alittle bit of pratice for me)

All of Cave's shmups were originally co-op arcade games that later got a striaght port to console. And come from the old skill based nintendo hard school of gaming (but generally even more challenging).

Its kinda difficult explaining the games or the attraction of playing them or similar arcade games of its ilk, especially to western gamers who are young or even older gamers since most western arcade gamers prefered Vs Fighters, racers and light gun games like street fighter 2, outrun and time crisis. These genres are alittle different then older arcade genres like Donkey Kong and Pacman and shmups since these games are designed around the high score mechanic, which makes a game that seems simple on the surface immensly deep and rewarding for those willing to master it.

The chaps from that retro documentry The King of Kong are the creed of gamers most drawn to these games. The gamer who will spend months and years trying to master just a single game. Thats not to say more casual gamers cant enjoy them, but playing for score (or the 1 credit clear) is a totally different ball game like draughts to chess is.

Cave and the modern bullet hell shmup genre is seen by many as an continuation of the old arcade style but given a modern twist all of its own.

So to answer your question $30 is bugger all really, especially as the only other option of playing the game is to import the Japanese original with a Japanese 360. Or to buy the arcade pcb 2nd hand for hundreds of pounds (they are a couple of grand brand new) which gamers with the cash to spare do.

Shmups is a bit of a wierd name for the genre but its the name most folk use nowadays as the old name "shooter" was stolen by the FPS jarheads, same as the title of hardcore gamer was

Oh btw if you dont have a 360 try out Yotsubane's Crimson Clover for the PC its a damn fine shmup which is more noob friendly then standard arcade shmups. Just play for score, plus dont use more then 1 credit like most casual gamers do, it spoils the game

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_5bzXxqEdk&feature=related

Heres the link for the games demo (I can link this in this forum right? Its fully legit) http://www.vector.co.jp/soft/winnt/game/se481428.html

 

[Anti-Robot Man]

Couldn't buy it if I wanted to (Europe), but I'm pleased these little experiments happen. With digital distribution companies might as well take a punt on foreign/niche markets and it benefits game diversity and specifically gamers who are enthused about less popular genres.

I defend physical formats like crazy, but this type of thing is just good sense when it comes to digital.

 

[Owlslayer]

Isn't 29.99 a bit much for it? Though, to be honest, i have no idea how games are being priced on Games on Demand, and maybe the game has a great story, or loads of replay value, or something else. Seriously, i have no idea, that's why I'm asking.
And this also reminded me how crazy the Japanese are. But crazy in a good way.
Also, haven't heard the word "shmup" before.

(Im gonna go into detail about the genre, I hope it helps anyone understand the attraction of these games since its usually abit of an enigma to modern western gamers, plus I keep putting off plans to make a Youtube video about the subject, so this is alittle bit of pratice for me)

All of Cave's shmups were originally co-op arcade games that later got a striaght port to console. And come from the old skill based nintendo hard school of gaming (but generally even more challenging).

Its kinda difficult explaining the games or the attraction of playing them or similar arcade games of its ilk, especially to western gamers who are young or even older gamers since most western arcade gamers prefered Vs Fighters, racers and light gun games like street fighter 2, outrun and time crisis. These genres are alittle different then older arcade genres like Donkey Kong and Pacman and shmups since these games are designed around the high score mechanic, which makes a game that seems simple on the surface immensly deep and rewarding for those willing to master it.

The chaps from that retro documentry The King of Kong are the creed of gamers most drawn to these games. The gamer who will spend months and years trying to master just a single game. Thats not to say more casual gamers cant enjoy them, but playing for score (or the 1 credit clear) is a totally different ball game like draughts to chess is.

Cave and the modern bullet hell shmup genre is seen by many as an continuation of the old arcade style but given a modern twist all of its own.

So to answer your question $30 is bugger all really, especially as the only other option of playing the game is to import the Japanese original with a Japanese 360. Or to buy the arcade pcb 2nd hand for hundreds of pounds (they are a couple of grand brand new) which gamers with the cash to spare do.

Shmups is a bit of a wierd name for the genre but its the name most folk use nowadays as the old name "shooter" was stolen by the FPS jarheads, same as the title of hardcore gamer was

Oh btw if you dont have a 360 try out Yotsubane's Crimson Clover for the PC its a damn fine shmup which is more noob friendly then standard arcade shmups. Just play for score, plus dont use more then 1 credit like most casual gamers do, it spoils the game

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_5bzXxqEdk&feature=related

Heres the link for the games demo (I can link this in this forum right? Its fully legit) http://www.vector.co.jp/soft/winnt/game/se481428.html

Thanks for the info, mate. Makes a bit more sense, i think. I've played some flash games that could be included in this genre, i think, but when i looked at that video...
Damn. It's just absolutely filled with bullets, explosions, rockets and lasers. But it did look rather fun.

 

[TrevHead]

Couldn't buy it if I wanted to (Europe), but I'm pleased these little experiments happen. With digital distribution companies might as well take a punt on foreign/niche markets and it benefits game diversity and specifically gamers who are enthused about less popular genres.

I defend physical formats like crazy, but this type of thing is just good sense when it comes to digital.

Living in the UK im in the same boat. However the reason Cave have published on GOD is partly to do with them losing their US publisher Aksys. Europe / PAL have Rising Star Games who published DS 1 so its highly likly we will see this game coming to our neck of the woods in disk format, which is what I prefer, and is a plus for Aussie Cave fans.

If not we hopefully should see the game comeout on GOD (fingers crossed)

Thanks for the info, mate. Makes a bit more sense, i think. I've played some flash games that could be included in this genre, i think, but when i looked at that video...
Damn. It's just absolutely filled with bullets, explosions, rockets and lasers. But it did look rather fun.

Just remember bullet hell games arnt as hard as they first appear. Your hitbox (collition detection) is only 1x1 or 2x2 pixels across, in Crimson Clover its that yellow star. This will allow you to weave between the bullet patterns

Speaking of flash games, Many of these games with their online leaderboards are an modern example of skill based highscore play. Its just a shame that 99% of these games are either shallow affairs or are broken and full of gliches.

There are exeptions to this, Aunty Pixelante's Lesbian Spider-Queens of Mars is one such game that wouldnt look about of place in an 80s arcade (ommiting obvious reasons ofc ).

 

[SageRuffin]

The ungodly difficult Mushihimesama Futari on an America Xbox 360? Jackpot!!

I wish I knew this earlier. I had to shell out $50 at a con to get a region-free copy. :/

Look on the bright side; you got to try it before anyone else.

Eh, I suppose you're right.

I wish I kept studying Japanese so I could decipher more of the game itself, but that's my own fault.

 

[Dragonpit]

The ungodly difficult Mushihimesama Futari on an America Xbox 360? Jackpot!!

I wish I knew this earlier. I had to shell out $50 at a con to get a region-free copy. :/

Look on the bright side; you got to try it before anyone else.

Eh, I suppose you're right.

I wish I kept studying Japanese so I could decipher more of the game itself, but that's my own fault.

Fortunately, I'm doing exactly that right now (minus the game deciphering). Maybe I'll let you know how things go.