Advice on shmup PCBs

Gentle Ben

Gentle Ben

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Hi all...I've been wanting to get some cool stand alone shooter pcbs to play in my cabs. My favorite shooters of all time are the gradius series, but those apparently are really top dollar.
Question is: are there any fun or amazing shooters available as an arcade board OTHER than say, Gigawing CPSII, or the MVS carts, for reasonable prices?
Recommendations?
Note: really not interested in older 1942-type shooters. Really do prefer the ones set in space, or with just plain lots of stuff happening. You know, the flashy ones.
 
T

TonK

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benjammin1701 said:
Hi all...I've been wanting to get some cool stand alone shooter pcbs to play in my cabs. My favorite shooters of all time are the gradius series, but those apparently are really top dollar.
Question is: are there any fun or amazing shooters available as an arcade board OTHER than say, Gigawing CPSII, or the MVS carts, for reasonable prices?
Recommendations?
Note: really not interested in older 1942-type shooters. Really do prefer the ones set in space, or with just plain lots of stuff happening. You know, the flashy ones.
Click to expand...

I can set you up with DonPachi - its a good starter shooter with a nice difficulity curve.

Its a vertical shooter, so its not like Gradius.

If you wanted to go the Gradius route, I can set you up with a Xexex, which is just like Gradius.

Cost wise, both are very reasonably priced.
 
ForeverSublime

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You sound like a Toaplan fan in the making. Check their games out - good bridge between the gradius days and the flashier modern stuff, and their games tend to be reasonably priced compared to most shmups of good production value.

Dogyuun would be my suggestion to you.
 
Gentle Ben

Gentle Ben

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TonK said:
I can set you up with DonPachi - its a good starter shooter with a nice difficulity curve.

Its a vertical shooter, so its not like Gradius.

If you wanted to go the Gradius route, I can set you up with a Xexex, which is just like Gradius.

Cost wise, both are very reasonably priced.
Click to expand...

Vertical requiring a vert monitor?
Unfortunately I don't have any cabs with a vert.
As far as Xexex, what price range we talkin here?

edit: I checked out Xexex in Mame...how come I've never heard of this game!?
It's pretty cool.


ForeverSublime said:
You sound like a Toaplan fan in the making. Check their games out - good bridge between the gradius days and the flashier modern stuff, and their games tend to be reasonably priced compared to most shmups of good production value.

Dogyuun would be my suggestion to you.
Click to expand...

Oh, I like this one. I'm assuming it also requires a vert monitor?
 
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complexz

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I was never a huge psikyo fan but they definatly make cool solid shmups and most of them are cheap...at least as far as shmup pcb's go

none of them are space themed or gradius like, but I think they are pcb's I can actually afford unlike most :)

maybe I am off base, I am not big into the shmups pcb market but I have never seen a psikyo pcb for over 200 bucks.

EDIT: oh if you only want hori ones there's always sengoku blade/tengai. which is a awesome game and the only shmup pcb i own right now :)
 
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alec

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If you're into penguines and naked ladies theres parodius for ya.
 
SuperDeadite

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Xexex is a great game, a couple warnings though. The World (English) version is total shit. Be sure you get a Japanese board. Also note that Xexex is notorius for being a bitchy board. If you have a cab, you should be ok, but if you are using a supergun, be aware. It's very picky about what TVs it likes. I've tried multiple CRTs and I only have 1 that it will sync too. I met many shooter fans that have given up on it due to sync and color problems...

Personally I'd recommend Thunder Cross II. Affordable, same universe as Gradius. Great graphics, AMAZING MUSIC (Konami's best IMO), small pcb, no ports exist, very good board to start with.
An example of TCII's incredible tunes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5miFFlgWpw
 
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Gentle Ben

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SuperDeadite said:
Xexex is a great game, a couple warnings though. The World (English) version is total shit. Be sure you get a Japanese board. Also note that Xexex is notorius for being a bitchy board. If you have a cab, you should be ok, but if you are using a supergun, be aware. It's very picky about what TVs it likes. I've tried multiple CRTs and I only have 1 that it will sync too. I met many shooter fans that have given up on it due to sync and color problems...

Personally I'd recommend Thunder Cross II. Affordable, same universe as Gradius. Great graphics, AMAZING MUSIC (Konami's best IMO), small pcb, no ports exist, very good board to start with.
An example of TCII's incredible tunes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5miFFlgWpw
Click to expand...

I've got 14 cabs.
Thanks for the heads up.
Thunder cross is pretty fun. Definitely could see it as kind of a precursor to Gradius.
 
Gentle Ben

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gundamalpha said:
You should set one of your 14 cabs to tate :)
Click to expand...

I do need a vert cab. BUUUUT....kinda want that to be a candy. And those are quite difficult to come by out here in the desert.
Have NEVER seen on in NM.
All my other cabs are dedicated ones, and wouldn't want to screw with them.
So in due time, I'll end up with a candy if I have to drive out to LA to get one. :)
 
Biohazard53

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ben, hit up ken@gameroom he's in Utah has a bunch of candies he can get Astro's Blast's Aero's Q25's
 
abasuto

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I've grown to accept that dealing with PCBs in general is an expensive hobby.

I paid $200 for my Esprade board, but given how much time I've put into it, it was worth every penny.
 
ForeverSublime

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Whoa. . . I must have read into the original post. I thought in fact you were asking for Vert Shmups. The doors are open now. . .

Note to self: reply with hori shmups. Go home first.
 
terry.330

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How about an ST-V setup with Terra Diver/Soukyugurentai?
 
ForeverSublime

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Metal Black (there is a port on one of the Taito compilations [for PS2?])
Hyperduel (there is a Sega Saturn version with arranged sound track)

I think you'll dig.
 
terry.330

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ForeverSublime said:
Metal Black (there is a port on one of the Taito compilations [for PS2?])
Hyperduel (there is a Sega Saturn version with arranged sound track)

I think you'll dig.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure those are fairly sought after and not exactly super cheap, especially Hyperduel. Also worth note is that the Saturn version of HD not only has an arranged ST but it also has updated graphics and is superior to the original.

I'll also re-recommend Tengai/Sengoku Blade, affordable and highly enjoyable game.
 
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