MarkMSX

@sfb Thank you my dude!

@StevenH Indeed ha! Better late than never X-D

I agree with your review my dude, I would have given the game the same score. It definitely fell short and probably would have been better off released as a port of the original with up-ressed graphics. Great work on the review

Hello everyone,

I can see that the scores for my reviews of these collections has been controversial, which I expected ha. One thing that I think is going to be helpful to understand where I'm coming from is for me to explain my perspective. As has been mentioned in the comments already, I am absolutely and hardcore enthusiast for the genre of shmups. Shmups are what I focus on and specialize in. I do no view the genre as a "pick-up and play" or a novelty. My standard for shmup releases is that they provide the player the with tools that he or she needs to learn the games, achieve high scores, and become fully immersed in what makes the genre so fun and exciting.

As much as I would love to see a proper proper fully-realized port of the Psikyo games happen, these City Connection releases are providing the bare minimum in terms of accessibility (there is no training mode, replay features, or even a stage select) and then also burdening the gameplay with additional input lag that is a significant problem, especially when you hit the second loops of these games.

I see comments wondering why other reviewers have not commented on the input lag and the answer is pretty simple, because they did not test for it. I do think it is really interesting to see what readers of my reviews are responding to and in what manner. My reviews are written from the person who is digging into what makes a shmup port quality (like the M2 releases) and what holds other ports back from achieving excellence for all demographics of players. I do take the reviews that I write very seriously and want to articulate more than just the surface view of this genre, which I feel I have been able to do in these reviews.

What is very funny, in an ironic sort of way, is that writing comprehensive reviews that sink their teeth into issues that may not be apparent right away (which I would argue is the role of a "video game critic") is actually not considered that valuable to many readers, as this feedback has demonstrated. I think the general expectation is that reviewers provide comfort and validate people's shopping preferences, which is obviously what "game journalism" has become.

I am sure there are many readers who want to buy these Psikyo re-releases because they are a nice assortment of games and that sort of thing (which I acknowledge in my review). If that is your desire, I am all for it, you all are free to spend your money however you like. However, I am not going to compromise the standards I expect out of releases of this genre simply because my standards are inconvenient or do not fall in line with the other mainstream shmup reviewers. If all shmup reviews just blandly hand out high scores to everything (which has been happening), then there really is no standard and that is how a barebones rom collection with high degrees of lag is earning high review scores.

To be honest, I think you can use these Psikyo collection reviews to detect the standard of other shmup reviewers, because on the surface these collections look solid enough, but when you start taking the games seriously this is when the issues become apparent.

So if you are coming to my reviews expecting score inflation, where even games that fall below the standard are given a 7/10 to avoid controversy, we are going to continue to have a lot of fun in these comment sections. But on the other hand, you will also know that when a shmup is released and I give it a high score, that it is legit.

@xxx128 No problem! Glad to have helped!

@Axelay71 Glad to have helped!

@EmirParkreiner I write my reviews from the perspective of a player who loves these games and expects to play them seriously. That's the purpose of my reviews and writing, to share this perspective with the general gaming public. That's what I'm all about. Sure, sometimes what I say may not feel as important of an issue to some people who don't care about playing the games seriously, but I'm not going to start changing my reviews to appeal to the lowest common demonimator. I understand that you don't agree with me and that's ok, but I do hope you can respect where I am coming from, even if you don't agree.

@Magician No it's the latest build. Here are the lag tests:
http://electricunderground.io/shmup-input-lag-database/

@bstoppel here are the lag tests
http://electricunderground.io/shmup-input-lag-database/

I agree completely! I think that is a great way to go, because everyone has their limitations. I enjoy racing games, but I'd not be able to say which Gran Tourismo is better than another ha.

@Diogmites For sure! Deathsmiles would be the perfect counterpoint to this game ha.

@Heavyarms55 What's kind of frustrating is all the promotional art and drawn art looks well done, but then the in-game art is just not compelling at all. I would have been happy to see if there was more of a match between the character art and the in-game art (like Fire Emblem 3 Houses does with this style).

@JayJ Yeah, I think this purchase can be passed on.

@Low I know it is a bummer I did come into the review with a positive outlook on the game too, it just did not deliver unfortunately.

@burntsienna Thank you my dude! I really appreciate that <3

@Nookingtons The game doesn't even deliver in that regard ha X-D

@NotTelevision Thank you my dude!! I'm glad to hear that!

@EmirParkreiner Thank you for the thoughtful reply! I'll keep these points in mind and talk about the issue in more depth in an upcoming review I am working on

@Shmupsnstuff Thanks man! I appreciate the kind words Ha yeah bonus points for catching that Nirvana "Under the Bridge" reference.

@YANDMAN The ShotTrigger Ports like Esp.Ra.De. Psi. Like I mention in the article, the big reason why the limited save states are a bit of a barrier is because with more savestates (like the 30 in the ShotTrigger ports), you'd be able to stage select all the different branching paths. With that said though, I do still think that M2 are ahead of the curve of everyone else, other than their own shmup-specific team.

@Axelay71 I understand my dude. Thank you for reading though!

@StrikerXL Arcade for sure!

@NotTelevision Thank you my dude!!! I appreciate the words of support.

@dharmajones93 That's awesome man!!! I'm really glad to hear you've come across my content before I think it'll definitely help people understand my perspective in these reviews better ha. Thanks for reading and checking out my stuff! <3

@Axelay71 Yeah the issue with the pricing on this collection isn't that it isn't worth it necessarily, but that it creates a price block for a lot of players who would be otherwise interested.

@JayJ Yeah I like the import as well

@USWITCH64 100 POINTS!! For catching that reference

@cmk8 Yeah, I'll never understand why they disabled the Z buttons.

@EmirParkreiner This is a very interesting topic and perspective to discuss. I can see where you are coming from, but perhaps if I explain my own perspective it will be helpful. From what I understand, it sounds like you feel I am holding too high of a standard when it comes to releases like this, by expecting options like training mode, arranges, extra OST, etc. That essentially what I should be focusing on is how cheap the releases are, in a bulk value sort of way. However, if I were to drop these standards and simply accept that running the rom and releasing at a low price is the most important aspect of my review, then I hope you can see how this would devalue the genre and push in a direction that many invested players of the genre have grown tired of. As a reviewer, I want to hold the genre at a higher value and push for releases that value quality, not quantity. So that might be why my reviews are frustrating you. If I start dropping the standard and saying all that matters is getting cheap roms with minimum features at an affordable price, why would the work that M2 and the Shottriggers team be worthwhile? I understand that my opinions on some of the ZeroDiv and Arcade Archives releases might be somewhat harsh for the demographic of players who just want a quick game on their handheld from time to time. But I don't view shmups as disposable quick games. I'd rather pay for a comprehensive release of a game like Blazing Star from a team like M2, so I hope this helps explain my perspective.

@AJ81 Darius Twin is pretty cool. The thing about shmups like Darius Twin is that, if it appeals to a specific buyer, its inclusion can be a big added value. However, I think it would have been better for everyone if Darius Twin and all the other console ports were in the standard release, that way more players would have a chance to play them, rather than being price locked out.

@Synthatron_Prime yeah for sure, I typically value shmups more highly than most reviewers (as I do take the genre seriously), but I do think in this case M2 added a barrier of entry with the price. I mean, in the grand scheme of things, when you look at the landscape of how expensive hardcore shmup interest can become (between pcb prices and expensive console ports) it's not a huge problem, but I do think they've priced themselves out of wider mainstream appeal.

@mrmememan Ha I've had the game for a while as well. Better late than never, plus it probably has received new interest due to the Limited Run release. Thanks for reading!

@dharmajones93 That is true! If you are looking for an official release of these games, which, as you say, are typically very expensive, then this collection is a great choice. With the save-states inclusion, it will also be more useful to learn than the original console releases.

@Ooyah Darius Burst on Vita is really cool! Yeah, I think if you liked DB you'll enjoy Darius Gaiden and Darius II in this release.

@Low Yeah Gaiden is definitely the big selling point of the collection! That would have been cool to get the PC engine release as well. Thanks for reading!

@Nintendofan83 Thanks for reading!

@HeroponRiki Yes ha, the UI is a little bit tricky to use at first, but it carries across all the ShotTriggers ports and has a lot of functionality once you get used to it.

@Shmupsnstuff Thanks my dude, I really appreciate it. Thank you for reading and congrats on 5k subs (I saw on Twitter).

@strykerking Thanks man! And thanks for reading

@masterLEON Killer post man! Yes, I'll try to sneak in some of the basics in the next review that I do. I was pushing the word count and wanted to prioritize the more in-depth aspects of the review that are less common, but I'll try to find a way to efficiently work in the basics next time around. Cheers!

@Technosphile Times are changing my dude, Plasmo, a Western Player, just got a world record in Pink Sweets last week Also ESP Ra.De. world records without boss milking in the new mode is an open field. I understand if you are not interested in the changes to the scoring mechanics in the new Arcade Plus mode, but there are a number of shmup players (myself included) who welcome the changes. I think a review that ignores the scoring changes of the new mode would be somewhat incomplete, because they are the primary reason this new mode exists.

@EmirParkreiner Psy Delta is a really cool shmup and it does have a lot of great features. I can see Delta being a favorite but for me ESP Ra.De. is a classic and has a unique feel compared to other CAVE games. I can see why you can prefer Delta though.

@MrVariant My dude, what's fluff about the review? I've only started to scratch the surface ;-D Shmups have a lot going on once you get into them.

@Joeynator3000 The images are all out of order sadly, I guess there is an issue with how the website processes the images. The fourth image is the title screen and was meant to be the first image if that helps ha.

@mbd Yeah it does! Another very useful mode that I tend to forget at times ha. It's fun to use to unlock Alice Master too.

@JayJ No, I have my own channel, the electric underground I think I'll try to record the video tomorrow if I can

@Kilroy Thank you for reading my dude and the positive feedback!

@JayJ Shmup reviews in the world of mainstream video game reviews is an interesting topic. I'm going to make a video about it ha. Shmups as a genre generally receive high review scores on average, and yet they do seem to be treated as a lesser genre compared to more mainstream stuff like platformers and RPG. For example, I don't think I've ever seen a shmup, other than Ikaruga, appear high in "all-time greatest games" lists, even though games like Ketsui, Garegga, and DaiOuJou defintely have the credentials to stand alongside stuff like Final Fantasy (at least from my perspective). Thanks for the reading!

Yeah my profile was empty ha, I was fast asleep (timezones and all that). I understand my dude, thanks for reading the review though

@JayJ I actually know what you are talking about, where fanboy reviewers randomly write reviews about shmups without objectively evaluating what the release has to offer. I could see why to someone who isn't familair with my stuff how this review might blend into that. However, I'd encourage you to check out my other shmup content to see where I am coming from and my perspective on the genre.