Xbox Live Arcade cavalcade continues on March 2

Posted by John as Shmups

Xbox Live gamers now have the chance to plan their purchasing schedule for March,thanks to Microsoft.

The publisher announced the full details of its March Xbox Live Arcade Block Party promotion. The initiative starts on March 3 with Signal Studios’ World War I-themed tower defense game Toy Soldiers for MSP 1,200 ($15), continuing with Slick Entertainment’s car-combat racer Scrap Metal on March 10 for the same price. 4J Studios’ update of venerated Nintendo 64 shooter Perfect Dark follows on March 17 for MSP 800 ($10).

Microsoft will close out the month with the release of Game Room, a free download that will serve as a hub for the publisher’s retro gaming push. Thirty Atari and Intellevision games will be available at launch. Microsoft shares that more than 1,000 titles are on the docket.

Games can be purchased for play on both the Xbox 360 and PC for MSP 400 ($5) or for an individual platform at MSP 240 ($3) apiece. Single rounds of any individual game can be played for MSP 40 ($.50). The Game Room will also support Xbox Live Avatars, as well as voice chat, 1080p graphics, cross-platform leaderboards, and achievements.

Gamers who pick up all three Block Party titles and the free Game Room hub will have MSP 400 ($5) credited to their Xbox Live account. Those who subscribe to Xbox Live’s Gold membership will also have their subscription extended by one month.

As for Games on Demand, Disney and Black Rock Studio’s Pure is available for only $19.99. The off-road trick racer received rave reviews upon its debut in September 2008. On March 2, Microsoft has queued up Bethesda Softworks’ acclaimed postapocalyptic role-playing shooter Fallout 3. However, pricing information is not yet available.

Technorati Tags: 2010, 2d shooters, March Xbox Live Arcade Block Party promotion, microsoft, shmup, toy soldiers, xbox live arcade news

Mushihimesama Futari version 1.5

Posted by John as Shmups

Mushihimesama the shooting action is here on Xbox360. The wars between the beetles and the humans have started again.

Release Date Nov 26, 2009

Language English, Japanese

Genre Shooting

Version Japan

Mushihimesama Futari Version 1.5 is one of the latest arcade ports of Xbox 360. If you can spare some cash to purchase the game price of $ 74.90 then what are you waiting for? Go ahead and order Mushihimesama Futari HERE..

Read on to know why this shooter deserves your money and attention.

If you have played a Cave shooter like DoDonPachi before, you wouldn’t be sure what to expect. The shmup earns good reviews but is only validated once you played the game.

The insect-themed Mushihimesama Futari, means “together with the bug princess, allows you to choose either of the two characters: Reco, the cute, purple-haired girl, or Palm, the little, dragon boy. The characters play almost identical except their movement types are quite the opposite based on your selection of normal or abnormal shot type.

The first thing you will notice when you actually started playing is how tight the controls were. It feels so right when you glide through the air and dodge enemy fire. The thing that separates great shooters from the rest of the average shooter are how well-designed the patterns are. Things maybe daunting at he start of MushiFutari but continued play will uncover passage ways designed in the patterns. It is a matter of some trial and error so don’t lose hope when you fail at the first try.

There’s only two buttons in game play, shoot and bomb. However, if you tap the shot button you get a spread shot that covers the screen. If you hold shot then you get a concentrated laser. It also depends on which character you choose to play along with the play style you choose. Holding down the shot button will either make your player slow down or speed up when you tap the button.

Earn multi colored gems when shooting down enemies can be collected to increase your score. Wisely choose the right time to use an appropriate attack which will yield more gems and larger-sized gems.

Mushihime-Sama Futari: Reco PVC Figure 1/7 Scale

Speaking of visual appeal, the game is stunning. Beware of getting distracted from the beautiful background scenery and fantastic animations. There is no obvious way to tell you’ve been hit when bullets come in the flavor of bright purple projectiles when the scenery just look breath-taking.

The music is also a high point. Sure it’s standard Japanese techno-pop, but damn if it isn’t catchy as hell. And it definitely has that old-school flavor.

You get your money’s worth with the number of modes available. You have two modes to choose from: 1.5 and Arrange.

The first mode 1.5 offers 3 challenges namely Original, Maniac, and Ultra. However, these aren’t just difficulty levels. Every mode offers a new scoring method and way of playing the game. In the Original mode, your rank increases based on how well you do in each stage. It will also determine the speed and density of bullet patterns in later stages. Maniac offers a counter that keep track of your multiplier that will affect the number of gems dropped by your enemies depending on how high the number is. Ultra mode and Original are scored in the same way. The rain of death coming down on you at this point is enormous. Before you begin playing in this mode, a warning pops out of the screen to ask if you won’t mind being murdered every second. Your answer will be a definite “yes” of course.

See a unique twist from the original game on the Arrange mode. In this mode, you control both Reco and Palm. One character serves as a shield while the other acts as an offense. You can choose to let bullets slow down around your characters by tapping the shot button. When you hold down shot the bullets, they will deflect back at enemies. The number and size of the gems are available only after the bullets are deflected. Thus, the more bullets you “collect” by tapping shot the greater number and size of your gems. You’ll need to strategically switch between characters to recharge your shields.

Now we go to Black Label which weakness is being an on-disc DLC. It is possible that Cave placed the option on the main menu and when clicked, takes you to Xbox Live. We can’t help but think that what we paid is only to get the download code to unlock the mode.

The lucky few shooter fans who got the first-press copies of the game came with a DLC code lets them download Ver. 1.01. Version 1.01 is a tweaked version of the very first arcade version of the game. It offers a pretty good challenge since it came before the more manageable Ver. 1.5. But don’t let this fool you. This version is equally tough to play too. The Novice mode can even make the bullets difficult to slow down. Of course, that’s the beauty of shmup. You play them over and over and memorizing the patterns so you finally get the feeling of accomplishment when you successfully 1cc original and proceed advanced modes with higher difficulties.

Mushihimesama Futari is one of the best shmups out there in the market. A perfectly designed, meticulously detailed, and a very absorbing shmup that you can lay your hands on. Don’t wait any longer and play this lovely shmup!

Technorati Tags: 2d Shooter, cave, dodonpachi, Mushihimesama Futari, review, shmup, video game

Experience Killing Engine shooter on the 25th!

Posted by John as Shmups

Fans of 2d shooter games will finally get a taste of Killing Engine as its estimated release day draws near. The free multiplayer shooter is set to be released on 25th of January 2010.

Killing Engine is a free multiplayer shooter where you team up with your friends to beat the opposing team. It takes place in an imaginary universe where Finland and Russia are at war with each other. The game features:

• Support for up to 64 players

• Large battlegrounds that take place in forests, wastelands, villages and cities

• 18 different weapons

• Easy to use Level editor

• Destructible environment

• Three different game modes

You can download the Beta 0.92 from the DOWNLOADS page.

Technorati Tags: download, january 25 2010 release date, killing engine shooter, multiplayer shooter, shmup

MiniSquadron: A must have 2d shooter game

Posted by John as Shmups

Minisquadron is one refreshing game that I have played. The game is a dog fighting aerial combat game that pits player’s aircraft versus computer-controlled jets in a limited 2D air space. Players have to fight against ways of enemy planes. Some waves can bring tens of highly advanced aircrafts that will be tough to defeat.

The game play of MiniSquadron is set as an arcade type. Flip 360 degrees, twist, dive, and shoot your way to win! Gain advantage from enemies by collecting lups and special stars. Other physics based elements of the game include your plane that can stall and fall if the plane is flown either too high or hit by the enemy. The tip is to keep your plane’s head down and dive as you fall then you can still regain control and fly upwards to prevent a crash.

The single player game has 8 stages. Each stage has 12 waves of enemy aircrafts to defeat. Enemies are in forms of propeller planes, bombers, and jet fighters, to UFO’s. The enemies are equipped with cannons, homing missiles, spray bombs, and even lasers. As players progress through the various stages, expect to unlock up to 56 aircrafts. These aircrafts provide players with more powerful weapons and faster aircrafts. Players need to meet certain requirements to access the aircrafts. The aircrafts are unlocked only when players achieved a certain score during a wave during a particular stage. Know the requirements on how to unlock an aircraft by tapping it. They can be unlocked when they have achieved a certain score during a wave at a certain stage.

Mini Squadron delivers well-done graphics and music. It brings the classic cartoon-styled 2D shooter to life although it is nothing amazing. The aircrafts have a unique look to them together with their fluid animations. The symphony classical music in the background fits perfectly to the aerial action in an odd way.

Players can manipulate the aircrafts all with the use of a virtual control pad. The controls are fairly simple and responsive. In default mode, the plane will fly straight. Flip your plane into 360 degrees by drawing a circle on the virtual control pad. This feature makes it easier to maneuver to the tail of enemy aircrafts.

The aerial combat action can be intense, especially when going against more than 10 enemy aircrafts during a wave. Dodging bullets and missiles and maneuvering to finish those pesky enemy jets can be really fun. Given that the game rewards you extra score for defeating enemies without taking a hit, any seasoned MiniSquadron player should aim to achieve the highest score.

One of the weaknesses of MiniSquadron is the lack of online high scores and achievements feature that other iPhone games has. It would be great to see how your top score rank in the world. The multiplayer mode in MiniSquadron is only available on local network connection. If MiniSquadron permits global online multi-player then this game would be perfect. It would be really fun to challenge 10 other players to a fight to the finish.

MiniSquadron is a great 2D shooter. Players will enjoy a fun, aerial combat experience thanks to its intense game play. With over 50 aircrafts to unlock and master, the game has a high replay value. It is definitely a must-own game for any fans of classic 2D shooters.

Technorati Tags: 2d Shooter, minisquadron iphone game, review, shmup, video game

Get to know the creators of “Duality ZF”

Posted by John as Shmups

Duality ZF is now officially 双攻 (Double Attack) in Japanese. Get to know the creators of this award-winning game.

One of the newest video games on the Xbox 360 gaming system is coming from Yarmouth, N.S.

Twin brothers Jason and Matthew Doucette grew up playing games together such as Mario Brothers and Pac-Man. They began programming their own games when they were in Grade 3, and in junior high they placed in top spots in national math competitions.

Now the 34-year-olds have made a dream come true by becoming game developers at their new company Xona Games.

Their first game – Duality ZF – recently placed in the top 10 in a Microsoft competition for independent game developers.

That means it’s on its way to the Xbox 360’s downloadable game section. The finished product should be available in about a month for millions of people to potentially download. (Special thanks to CBC)

Watch it here.

Technorati Tags: double attack japanese, Duality ZF, shmup, shoot em up, video game, xbox 360 shmup

R-Type Tactics II: Operation Bitter Chocolate

Posted by John as 2d Shooter

As awkward as the title may sound, Irem is working on a sequel R-Type Tactics called Operation Bitter Chocolate. Its first PSP game strays far from its shmup predecessors. See an Advance Wars-like turn-based strategy in its game play.

The sequel has the force of Earth, Bydo Empire, and Granzela army locked in a hex grid war.

R-Type Command sequel is coming at you on October 27 to Japanese retailers. Irem is preparing a downloadable version scheduled to come out on the same day. A boxed copy is priced 5,040 yen ($53) while the downloadable release goes for 3,800 yen ($40).

Technorati Tags: 2d Shooter, irem, new release, r-type tactics II operation bitter chocolate, shmup

Pink Bullets : Last Hope coming on August 2009

Posted by John as Shmups

Game story

The evil empire is rushing at light-speed across the galaxies, heading towards Mother Earth. Barely 24 hours ago, they penetrated the last defense line of our galaxy, the Arsion Laser Belt. Millions of innocent people perished in outer space colonies. 70% of our fleet was destroyed during first contact. Our intelligence has now extrapolated their arrival within six days. Conventional weapons cannot stop them. Our last hope is in your hands: The Z-42 Warpstar. Warp into their territories and destroy their leader before they reach Earth.

Game Features

Pink Bullets is a tactical shooting game with impressive visuals and excellent arcade game play.

All Versions
• Free 360° rotary protection unit for shooting and dodging enemy fire
• Six stages
• Handdrawn NEO•GEO style backgrounds
• Fully animated CGI enemies
• Superb video game style soundtrack
• Constant 60 fps with up to 4 parallax layers
• Lighting FX
• Smooth plasma FX

Pink Bullets specific features

• Six credits and instant respawn during one credit
• Higher player ship speed from beginning
• Players ship does permanently equip the Rotary Protection Unit
• Protection unit itself can destroy enemies
• Five difficulty settings
• Overall less hard difficulty
• Altered stage color theme for higher Visibility
• Advanced scoring system, with beam chaining multiplier/combo meter
• Pink enemy bullets

This is not officially licensed, designed, manufactured, distributed or endorsed by SNK/Playmore corp. of Japan or SEGA Corporation.

Order your copy of Pink Bullets here.

Technorati Tags: 2d Shooter, august 2009, new release, pink bullets last hope, shmup, video games

Genetos is almost complete

Posted by John as Shmups

Remember this post I made last October? Looks like the final 1.0 version of the “play through the history of shmups” game Genetos wil be released soon.

Genetos is a vertical shooter with a “evolution” theme. The stages from the word Genetos mean different generations in the evolution of shmups.

You start out with a Space Invaders-like game in the first level. In the 2nd level, you move into late-eighties-style world. As you move on to the 3rd level, this is where the game becomes more standard. You get bombs and more firepower. Lastly, in the 4th level, you can go to the bullet hell.

Watch this video of Genetos with level 4 creator mode.

While we are at it, check this trailer:

Thanks to Tatsuya Koyama, Japanese indie game developer for bringing us Genetos.

GENETOS is a freeware. You can download it from Tatsuya Koyama’s website right here.

Technorati Tags: 2d Shooter, genetos, shmup, tatsuya koyama, video game

Duality ZF as a new dual 2d shooter in Xbox 360

Posted by John as Shmups

Get to enjoy Duality ZF this summer for only 400 Microsoft points. The upcoming dual play 2d shooter is released this summer of 2009.

DUAL PLAY allows you to control two players at once. DUAL PLAY offers double the firepower. . There are a few innovative duality features that even newbie gamers would find easy to shoot em up. Advanced players also get to be challenged when in extended expert modes.

What’s more is a weapon system called DUAL-SL with spread and laser features. It morphs from spread to laser and back via trigger controls. Lastly, DUAL-HL is included in the game development. It is a prototype weapon system but may not make it in time of the launch date.

Technorati Tags: 2d Shooter, Duality ZF, shmup, video games

0 Day Attack on Earth – A Shooter from Square Enix

Posted by John as 2d Shooter

Square Enix oddly named the upcoming XBLA shooter “0 Day Attack on Earth”. It is one of those Xbox Live Arcade games where players can shoot and reflect lasers at rectangular prisms yielding them into a bloody mess.

Microsoft recently held a press conference in Japan showing the growing local support for its Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Arcade service. It is quite a surprise to know that Square Enix , who came away with the most interesting developments of the show, had nothing to do with Final Fantasy or RPGs in general. As it was once dubbed as Project Cube, the minimalist effect of the game makes it interesting to play.  Sad to say, we will have to wait for the sequel of Einhander.

Watch a clip of Square Enix here.

Technorati Tags: 0 day attack on earth, 2d Shooter, shmup, square enix, xbla, xbox 360