Deathsmiles 2

Orpheus · Nov 10, 2010

So....lets discuss this potential letdown. I checked out some videos of this game in action on youtube and it looks like a drastis step back for a sequal.
The new 3D backrounds look cold, drab and lifeless. The aesthetic pales in comparison to it's predescesor. Overall it looks like it could be a big dissapointment.

The original is such a dope shooter and now this. Thoughts?.....

Poison Sama · Nov 10, 2010

As someone who owns both the first game and the sequel, I'll say that the sequel is overall just as fun as the first one. Their gameplay is quite similar, but the sequel is easier to beat and the scoring system is easier to understand. Though it's still quite a challenge when playing for score. As for the graphics, yeah they're a step down aesthetically, but it looks way better in person than it does in pictures or low res videos. There's also so much going on in the foreground that there's really no chance to pay attention to much else. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the gameplay of the first one.

drunkninja · Nov 10, 2010

Hentai Sama said:
As someone who owns both the first game and the sequel, I'll say that the sequel is overall just as fun as the first one. Their gameplay is quite similar, but the sequel is easier to beat and the scoring system is easier to understand. Though it's still quite a challenge when playing for score. As for the graphics, yeah they're a step down aesthetically, but it looks way better in person than it does in pictures or low res videos. There's also so much going on in the foreground that there's really no chance to pay attention to much else. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the gameplay of the first one.

Pretty much this, recently got the game, and it's actually quite fun. I wasn't expecting much based on what I'd heard, but it's still good. Not as great as the first, but still worth playing.

twalden · Nov 11, 2010

Gameplay itself is good but kind of forgettable. The thing I didn't like is that most of the levels seem kind of bland compared to the first game. The opening Christmas stage and the vertically scrolling castle stage are awesome, the rest were pretty dull. Also, it would have been nice to be able to choose stage difficulty like the first game. You can in X-mode, but not the arcade mode.

BRANDI · Nov 11, 2010

The first one was much better in every way... :annoyed:

fake · Nov 11, 2010

I want a J360 : /

Retro2DGamer · Nov 11, 2010

3D backgrounds? Think I'll pass.

supergrafx77 · Nov 12, 2010

BRANDI said:
The first one was much better in every way...

Same sentiments here.

Professor Denim · Nov 12, 2010

i´m very happy to know that the first game is finally coming to Europe, trough Rising Star Games. Never played any of the two but from the gameplay videos the first DS look better...

Chempop · Nov 12, 2010

At first I was quite upset with all the changes from the first game; 3D backgrounds, widescreen, Xmas theme, etc. But once I got into it I enjoyed the game tons! Arcade mode is squashed, but a solid challenge regardless of not being able to select rank before each level. Xmode plays very differently, has extra levels, and probably looks really nice on an HD setup. Arrange mode is same bullet canceling silliness that you can expect if you've played Futari or ESPG2 arrange before.

Overall the game has a nice charm to it and fun scoring system - highly recommended if you are a fan of the first game.

neo_mao · Nov 12, 2010

Chempop said:
Overall the game has a nice charm to it and fun scoring system - highly recommended if you are a fan of the first game.

I agree with this. if you take it for what it is, it is a pretty enjoyable game. I probably play this more than Galuda 2

I do kinda regret not waiting, as I don't know if it is worth the ~$80 it cost to import it when it first came out - but I think you can find it at pretty reasonable prices on ebay now.

BIG · Nov 12, 2010

is it just me, or is the scoring system in deathsmiles very similar to pro-gear?

MetalSludge · Nov 12, 2010

Weird that, by most accounts, this sequel pales in comparison to the original. Normally, Cave seems to make a fairly clear progression in their game series. I hope this, and the 3D, are not the beginning of a trend.

I recall seeing a documentary though in which one of the Cave developers mentioned that they were not as into making horizontal games as vertical ones, so maybe the Deathsmiles team is not very representative of the overall Cave tendencies anyway.

iluvmonsterz · Nov 12, 2010

i feel as though cave handed this off to their "B" team and said make it quick boys....rehashed character models muddy textures horrible animations and lackluster backgrounds are just the begining of a laundrey list of flaws instantly apparent with this game. if all a shmup needed was gameplay and no pretty pics to oogle we'd all be playing shooties as X'S and O'S....

wataru330 · Nov 12, 2010

MetalSludge said:
I recall seeing a documentary though in which one of the Cave developers mentioned that they were not as into making horizontal games as vertical ones...

???

They seemed plenty into horiz enough on PnA.

@BIG- yeah man, I recon the same. Sub skulls for gems, &...

MetalSludge · Nov 13, 2010

wataru330 said:
???

They seemed plenty into horiz enough on PnA.

@BIG- yeah man, I recon the same. Sub skulls for gems, &...

Maybe he was just speaking for himself. But he did seem to suggest that it was more difficult to determine how the bullet patterns could be played when going horizontally, if I remember correctly.

In any case, as of Deathsmiles 2, they have still only made 3 horizontal shooters. So it wouldn't surprise me if they are not overly fond of that approach in their own games, whatever their reasons.

MetalSludge · Nov 13, 2010

iluvmonsterz said:
i feel as though cave handed this off to their "B" team and said make it quick boys....rehashed character models muddy textures horrible animations and lackluster backgrounds are just the begining of a laundrey list of flaws instantly apparent with this game. if all a shmup needed was gameplay and no pretty pics to oogle we'd all be playing shooties as X'S and O'S....

There actually has been a rush of minimalist retro shooters making the rounds of independent PC game making lately that have little triangles and things flying about in them. Some of them get good reviews, but I don't like them.. cause I see it the way you do - pretty pics help make Cave games and the like in the arcade what they are. The polish goes beyond bullet patterns. Such games are usually anything but bland.

Maybe they did rush this one to market, it came out relatively shortly after the original and may have been a cash in on the original's success more than an attempt at new progress.

Chempop · Nov 13, 2010

In any case, as of Deathsmiles 2, they have still only made 3 horizontal shooters.

Actually 4 games: Progear, Deathsmiles, Deathsmiles 2, and their latest game Akai Katana.

DS2 grew on me the more I played it. They really made much better use of the lock on shot, now it can cancel the enemy suicide bullets (sperm bullets), and destroying tons of crap with the lock-on while avoiding the sperm you can get tons of points, it's a very nice twist on the scoring system in general and while I do miss the bouncing skulls from the first Deathsmiles, scoring is overall much more interesting in DS2. X-mode changes a lot and feels like a solid Black Label, they added a new type of enemy bullet, the homing needles. X-mode is also widescreen so you get a much largerplay field and the HUD was tweaked a bit (admittedly, harder to read on a standard def TV). Arcade mode and X-mode are considerably different games, whereas in all their other ports the only noticeable difference has been resolution and maybe some slightly altered slowdown.

I think a lot of people who were hating on the new look of the 3D hardware actually found themselves enjoying the game much more than they expected.

wataru330 · Nov 13, 2010

MetalSludge said:
Maybe he was just speaking for himself. But he did seem to suggest that it was more difficult to determine how the bullet patterns could be played when going horizontally, if I remember correctly.

In any case, as of Deathsmiles 2, they have still only made 3 horizontal shooters. So it wouldn't surprise me if they are not overly fond of that approach in their own games, whatever their reasons.

Fair enough.

I would love to check this and other interviews out.

Is this some omake from a super play DVD, or something you came across on the 'net/YTube? My curiosity is piqued.

Poison Sama · Nov 13, 2010

Chempop said:
DS2 grew on me the more I played it. They really made much better use of the lock on shot, now it can cancel the enemy suicide bullets (sperm bullets), and destroying tons of crap with the lock-on while avoiding the sperm you can get tons of points, it's a very nice twist on the scoring system in general and while I do miss the bouncing skulls from the first Deathsmiles, scoring is overall much more interesting in DS2. X-mode changes a lot and feels like a solid Black Label, they added a new type of enemy bullet, the homing needles. X-mode is also widescreen so you get a much largerplay field and the HUD was tweaked a bit (admittedly, harder to read on a standard def TV). Arcade mode and X-mode are considerably different games, whereas in all their other ports the only noticeable difference has been resolution and maybe some slightly altered slowdown.

I think a lot of people who were hating on the new look of the 3D hardware actually found themselves enjoying the game much more than they expected.

Well said, and I completely agree.

iluvmonsterz · Nov 13, 2010

MetalSludge said:
There actually has been a rush of minimalist retro shooters making the rounds of independent PC game making lately that have little triangles and things flying about in them. Some of them get good reviews, but I don't like them.. cause I see it the way you do - pretty pics help make Cave games and the like in the arcade what they are. The polish goes beyond bullet patterns. Such games are usually anything but bland.

Maybe they did rush this one to market, it came out relatively shortly after the original and may have been a cash in on the original's success more than an attempt at new progress.

my sentiments exactly, heap accolades on the gameplay all you want but truth be told the play mechanics and such were fairly standard and only needed some polish...meanwhile all the charm and production values were curtailed in lew of a speedy release date...when i think of a cave game i always remember the overall "feel"(ie. its theme and presentation) scoring is secondary as far as the reason i gravitate towards caves game in the stg genre. it seems pride in craftmanship and artistic integrity play second fiddle to a bump in profit margins even to a company who as a rule sets the standard for such things.

P.S. i dont hate on the "LOOK"....its just piss poor rendering...the models are all very rudementory and have very little animation, many are just straight up ripped off from the previous game. backgrounds and textures are bland and muddy...dont even get me started on their extremely subpar bosses. lets face it if this game were released by anyone other than cave it woulda been lambasted for how shitty it looks. i dont neccessarily "hate" the game, but i am sorely disappointed in its quality...

brentsg · Nov 13, 2010

Hentai Sama said:
Well said, and I completely agree.

About the sperm, or DS2?

twalden · Nov 13, 2010

One thing I really liked about DS2 is the recharging. It's a lot easier to pull off consistently over the first game.

TWE · Nov 17, 2010

Here's my review of Deathsmiles IIX:

http://www.cave-stg.com/?p=227

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