This is an underrated shmup, and certainly the best shmup made by "Team Grybanser Fox" so far. Their previous shmups were too simple and lacked something that truly made it felt like the 90s, but this one nails it. (list of their shmups: http://store.steampowered.com/search/?developer=Team%20Grybanser%20Fox ) https://image-ticketfly.imgix.net/00/02/51/80/03-og.jpg?w=500&h=334&fit=crop&crop=top Game is VERY simple, with one button for continuous shooting and another one for bomb. There's a third button which, if pressed at the same time as the shooting button, shoots a different kind of laser so that enemies drop "medals" instead of "coins". (DEFAULT SETTINGS: A=> shoot; B=> bomb; A+X=> laser) I think it's a weird system, but basically, you shoot enemies to get coins first to "level up" medals, and then you use the laser weapon to get medals, which are worth much more than coins, especially if you leveled up them first. You do this only to improve your final scores, but the game can be played entirely without it, with just A and B.๐ TIP: you WILL die if you touch an enemy. Some shmups let you "fly over" enemies, this one doesn't. Avoid EVERYTHING. This game reminds me of "Batsugun". (1993 on arcade) https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VL6mEO31iTg/maxresdefault.jpg I mean in terms of feeling... For example, the way enemies explosions feel a bit "flat" and the shooting is a bit underwhelming (unlike later games like the Dodonpachi series) really remind me of Batsugun or other similar early 90s shmups. (Varth, Air Assault, Truxton II...) It's not a critic though, cos that's exactly what the developers intended, and it's a success! Unfortunately, graphics-wise, nothing will ever come close to the greatness of 90s pixel art though, I'm afraid. It's still acceptable though, especially the cute characters in the "bezel"(sides of the screen - you can disable it if you want) and in-game as well. (I usually prefer human than furries, but these ones are adorable๐น) Level design could have been more inspired though. Most levels look quite "abstract", with nothing really recognizable. It feels like being in some kind of industry during a big part of the game, a bit like Scrap Brain Zone in Sonic 1. lol http://dioxaz.free.fr/tlfz/decors/sonic1/decorscrapbrain12.png Backgrounds are a bit too contrasted and sometimes it's difficult to avoid the bullets, but maybe that's why they designed them so big... lol You can't miss them. Also, there are so many bullets most of the time that you can't even appreciate the background art anyway. Yeah I know, it's like watching the trees while racing... not a good idea. lol But still, I would have liked to see nice natural backgrounds or cityscapes, etc... So much potential! So, while games like Super Hydorah ( http://igg-games.com/super-hydorah-free-download.html ) emulate the late 80s, This game looks, sounds, and feels like it was made back in early 90s, with FM synthesis (both music and sound effects), pixel art, hardcore arcade gameplay, super positive feeling and bright colors, scanlines and bilinear filters, and more importantly... This is a true "bullet hell" shmup. (Edit: god, some bosses patterns are insane...) I already lost 3 lives in level 2... It usually doesn't happen to me. lol Even level 1 already feels VERY intense. Strangely, I completed level 4 without losing a life. Maybe I'm just getting used to it, or the bullet patterns are easier in this level... It's nothing like the recent shmup "Sky Force Reloaded", which is very relaxing compared to it: http://igg-games.com/sky-force-reloaded-free-download.html (not a bad game at all though. But definitely not bullet hell.) I forgot to mention the hitbox, which is a very tiny point located at the center of your character, fortunately. (this was NOT the case in early 90s... lol) One thing about the sound though... The FM sound effects can get some time to used to, they're pretty harsh and sound like they came right out of a Megadrive model 2.(the model 1 had softer sound) http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/06/25/article-2008074-06FFA17B000005DC-877_468x318.jpg I played with the volume quite low, cos my ears started ringing... lol I usually prefer games which use more "muffled" sound effects. This game could have used a mild lowpass filter. The music isn't as harsh and if you want to listen to it, you can find the .ogg files in the "Jet Buster\sounds\bkg" folder.๐๐ The positive "high energy" style is perfect for this game genre, and sounds like it came right out of a Megadrive game of the early 90s. lol The .ogg files are looping though so they stop abruptly, obviously. The developers were smart to give us infinite continues, as if we were playing a real arcade machine with infinite coins. (It reminds me again of the insane amount of time I spent in arcade rooms in the early 90s...) Unless you're a god at shmups, you'll NEED them. lol I prefer this much better than Syper Hydorah, which forces you to restart a level as soon as you die one time. It's much more enjoyable this way.๐ (EDIT: the game does NOT have infinite continues, but you have to pay your continues with the coins you picked up... Thing is, you get SO many coins that anyway, it's like you get infinite continues... I never ran out of coins. So, unlike you're VERY bad, you'll be able to continue as much as you want. lol) Nothing to say on the technical side. It's bug-free, easy on the cpu (duh!), has plenty of graphics/sound/gameplay options, etc. Not sure if this game will ever get or even need updates. I guess I shouldn't hope for a level design overhaul, but I can always dream of a remake later? lol Anyway, if you liked 90s shmups, I'm pretty sure you'll find something to appreciate in this one!๐ค๐
Wow! Quite the write-up! I absolutely love Batsugun and it's great hearing that Team Grybanser Fox might have just nailed the type of game they've been working towards for years. Super excited to check this one out. Thanks for taking the time to post - we need more people like you here on IGG. =D
Their previous shmups were too simple and lacked something that truly made it felt like the 90s, but this one nails it.
(list of their shmups: http://store.steampowered.com/search/?developer=Team%20Grybanser%20Fox )
https://image-ticketfly.imgix.net/00/02/51/80/03-og.jpg?w=500&h=334&fit=crop&crop=top
Game is VERY simple, with one button for continuous shooting and another one for bomb.
There's a third button which, if pressed at the same time as the shooting button, shoots a different kind of laser so that enemies drop "medals" instead of "coins".
(DEFAULT SETTINGS: A=> shoot; B=> bomb; A+X=> laser)
I think it's a weird system, but basically, you shoot enemies to get coins first to "level up" medals, and then you use the laser weapon to get medals, which are worth much more than coins, especially if you leveled up them first.
You do this only to improve your final scores, but the game can be played entirely without it, with just A and B.๐
TIP: you WILL die if you touch an enemy. Some shmups let you "fly over" enemies, this one doesn't. Avoid EVERYTHING.
This game reminds me of "Batsugun". (1993 on arcade)
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VL6mEO31iTg/maxresdefault.jpg
I mean in terms of feeling...
For example, the way enemies explosions feel a bit "flat" and the shooting is a bit underwhelming (unlike later games like the Dodonpachi series) really remind me of Batsugun or other similar early 90s shmups. (Varth, Air Assault, Truxton II...)
It's not a critic though, cos that's exactly what the developers intended, and it's a success!
Unfortunately, graphics-wise, nothing will ever come close to the greatness of 90s pixel art though, I'm afraid.
It's still acceptable though, especially the cute characters in the "bezel"(sides of the screen - you can disable it if you want) and in-game as well.
(I usually prefer human than furries, but these ones are adorable๐น)
Level design could have been more inspired though.
Most levels look quite "abstract", with nothing really recognizable.
It feels like being in some kind of industry during a big part of the game, a bit like Scrap Brain Zone in Sonic 1. lol
http://dioxaz.free.fr/tlfz/decors/sonic1/decorscrapbrain12.png
Backgrounds are a bit too contrasted and sometimes it's difficult to avoid the bullets, but maybe that's why they designed them so big... lol You can't miss them.
Also, there are so many bullets most of the time that you can't even appreciate the background art anyway.
Yeah I know, it's like watching the trees while racing... not a good idea. lol
But still, I would have liked to see nice natural backgrounds or cityscapes, etc...
So much potential!
So, while games like Super Hydorah ( http://igg-games.com/super-hydorah-free-download.html ) emulate the late 80s, This game looks, sounds, and feels like it was made back in early 90s, with FM synthesis (both music and sound effects), pixel art, hardcore arcade gameplay, super positive feeling and bright colors,
scanlines and bilinear filters, and more importantly...
This is a true "bullet hell" shmup. (Edit: god, some bosses patterns are insane...)
I already lost 3 lives in level 2... It usually doesn't happen to me. lol
Even level 1 already feels VERY intense.
Strangely, I completed level 4 without losing a life. Maybe I'm just getting used to it, or the bullet patterns are easier in this level...
It's nothing like the recent shmup "Sky Force Reloaded", which is very relaxing compared to it: http://igg-games.com/sky-force-reloaded-free-download.html (not a bad game at all though. But definitely not bullet hell.)
I forgot to mention the hitbox, which is a very tiny point located at the center of your character, fortunately. (this was NOT the case in early 90s... lol)
One thing about the sound though...
The FM sound effects can get some time to used to, they're pretty harsh and sound like they came right out of a Megadrive model 2.(the model 1 had softer sound)
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/06/25/article-2008074-06FFA17B000005DC-877_468x318.jpg
I played with the volume quite low, cos my ears started ringing... lol
I usually prefer games which use more "muffled" sound effects.
This game could have used a mild lowpass filter.
The music isn't as harsh and if you want to listen to it, you can find the .ogg files in the "Jet Buster\sounds\bkg" folder.๐๐
The positive "high energy" style is perfect for this game genre, and sounds like it came right out of a Megadrive game of the early 90s. lol
The .ogg files are looping though so they stop abruptly, obviously.
The developers were smart to give us infinite continues, as if we were playing a real arcade machine with infinite coins. (It reminds me again of the insane amount of time I spent in arcade rooms in the early 90s...)
Unless you're a god at shmups, you'll NEED them. lol
I prefer this much better than Syper Hydorah, which forces you to restart a level as soon as you die one time.
It's much more enjoyable this way.๐
(EDIT: the game does NOT have infinite continues, but you have to pay your continues with the coins you picked up... Thing is, you get SO many coins that anyway, it's like you get infinite continues... I never ran out of coins.
So, unlike you're VERY bad, you'll be able to continue as much as you want. lol)
Nothing to say on the technical side.
It's bug-free, easy on the cpu (duh!), has plenty of graphics/sound/gameplay options, etc.
Not sure if this game will ever get or even need updates.
I guess I shouldn't hope for a level design overhaul, but I can always dream of a remake later? lol
Anyway, if you liked 90s shmups, I'm pretty sure you'll find something to appreciate in this one!๐ค๐
I absolutely love Batsugun and it's great hearing that Team Grybanser Fox might have just nailed the type of game they've been working towards for years.
Super excited to check this one out.
Thanks for taking the time to post - we need more people like you here on IGG.
=D