(My high's and low's are at the bottom of the thread)
Robert said:
Highly I don't like: Gradius V
Low I like: Border down.
For me Border down>Gradius V.
Tristesse already posted in reply to this, but I had to add some more on the subject.
Border Down is on the verge of legendary status. The core of the shootemup scene is praising this game more and more everyday, and I think hype has a lot to do with it after the releases of Senko and UD. I was a huge fan of Border Down when it was met with luke warm feelings during its innitial release. It continues to be one of my favorite shooters of all time, and #1 on the Dreamcast.
With GRev's small library of titles, it is hard to fathom why people out there were saying before the release of Under Defeat:
"Of course Under Defeat will be great, it's by GRev!"
A lot of people started to say this, after only 1 now rare title exists on the Dreamcast, and Senko No Ronde (a game barely anyone has played) hit the arcades on the NAOMI.
So I guess if you appreciate Border Down for what it really is, and are not basing your opinions on the hype of others on forums, then it would be considered a minority opinion.
dakingofzumunda said:
High I dont like:
Radiant Silvergun
Low I like:
Vapor Trail
Thunder Force III & 4
Gate of Thunder
Tiger Heli
News Flash: The Thunder Force series is the most highly praised shootemup series on the Mega Drive / Genesis. They are well known and have legions of followers (of which I am one, TFIV is my favorite shooter of all time).
Tiger Heli is also very well respected shooter from Toaplan. If you are talking about the NES version then that "might" classify as a low, since many praise the arcade version but are somewhat indifferent about the NES port.
Jedah Doma said:
Sorry man, crappy shooter that copies Ikaruga and Radiant Silvergun is better then the originals? I own Chaos Field and it's nothing but a cheap ripoff of the two above listed games. I'ts not a terrible game, but it doesn't even use the elements copied from the other games well or even as well as the originals IMO.
Jedah Doma: History has proven that the shootemup / shooter genre is no stranger to inspiration. Countless games borrow conventions from other franchises. A big reason for this is because there is so much carry over between companies. On average an employee who works on shooters has most likely worked at 2 or 3 different companies specializing in this game type. Games such as Pulstar for the Neo-Geo are a perfect example of this.
I am a strong supporter of originality. But because of the environment in this genre it makes it difficult to crucify games for borrowing conventions from other titles. The only games I feel that can have points taken away for originality are blatent rip-offs. Also, you have to remember that the swords are actually integrated into the design of the ships in Chaos Field. If the swords were removed from the default look of the ship, then the distinction made with Ikaruga would be a lot harder to justify.
Chaos Field's overall experience seperates itself enough from the pack to classify it as original in it's own right. How many other games have there been that focus soley on boss battles? Yes there have been games that feature a boss rush mode, but those weren't designed from the ground up as such.
So far I have found only one other title that focuses on boss encounters. That is none other than Change Air Blade, a vertical shooter from Sammy which has players playing against each other with the ability to turn into bosses.
One could say that GRev borrowed the entire concept of Senko no Ronde from Change Air Blade. The similarities are spot on. People making comparisons of Under Defeat with Zero Gunner 2, and Border Down has origins with another shooter franchise. This goes back to what I was saying before about originality in this genre. It is hard to find shooters that were released as 100% original. Hell most of the shooters on the market borrow special effects from the original R-Type.
I think game players tend to back information that best supports the games they like to play, and vice versa. If someone really likes a game, they will ignore it's faults or find ways to reason around them. On the flip side, if a person does not find a game fun to play, they will nitpick and use any flaw against the game in order to justify to themselves and others why they shouldn't put time into playing it.
Chaos Field might not be for everyone, but there are people out there that appreciate and like this game. It also filled a niche that had barely been carved in the shootemup genre. In the future when the subject of an all boss battle shooter comes up, the first game to be mentioned will be Chaos Field.
Takumaji said:
Lows that I rate highly:
- R-Type Final
Is that really a low? I mean... heh, this is borderliner ignorant I must say... ah well, whatever, tastes are tastes I guess. I abso-fucking-lutely ADORE this game. For a strategic shmup fan like me, this is as good as it can possibly get. RTF and Border Down are my two fave modern horis, they just feel right to me.
I am a massive R-Type Final fan. I love the pacing of the game, and the atmosphere is incredible. I can't get over how enjoyable it is to constantly push your score with the force bit rubbing against anything that yields points. I like Delta a lot, but I prefer Final. It's presentation, music, and pacing is what makes me love it so much.
--
Highly Praised Games, that are not for me:
Cave Shooters (except Tatsujin / Tatsujin 2)
Raizing Shooters
Low (bashed games / infrequently mentioned):
PS2 - R-Type Final
DC - Trizeal
N64 - Star Soldier Vanishing Earth
SNES - Phalanx
