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Get Ketsui boss advice from Cave's boss
Arika's Ketsui DS is more than just a stripped-down "boss rush" version of an arcade shmup -- though it does seem to be a boss rush, judging from the website's description of the difficulty levels (which show different progressions of bosses based on the difficulty). It's being loaded with extra DS content including levels that can be shared via download play, recordable replays (which can also be shared), and an "Evac Report" mode, which seems to contain an unlockable art gallery. The wackiest new feature is the "Oshiete IKD-san!" ("Teach me, IKD-san!") mode, in which Cave's president, Tsuneki Ikeda ("IKD"), offers shmup lessons to the player. Shooting Training: of course![Via Insert Credit]
Don't shoot these Ketsui DS screens down
There's no hiding your secret. After seeing the latest on Ketsui DS, we know you're absolutely in love with the game now. It's okay, we fell in love immediately way back in September, so we know full well your pain right now, as your body must be violently, and randomly, throwing itself into convulsions of desire for the title. That's how it's been for us, at least.Well, courtesy of Famitsu, we all get a brief fix. Their site has a variety of screens up for your perusing pleasure. Also reiterated is the inclusion of a DVD showing Japanese gamers how to get those high scores. Of course, we already knew about that.%Gallery-23580%
Ketsui DS lives, almost complete
Upon first laying eyes on Akira's Ketsui DS, we don't have to tell you how awesome the game looks. But, as quick as we were to get excited, it died down after months of not hearing a darn thing about the project. That is, until another trailer popped up on the internet. Now, our excitement, it returns!It turns out, they've been working hard on the game all this time. So while we've had nothing but month after month of silence, it might have turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The title is due for release on October 23rd in Japan.After you check out the trailer above, be sure to hit up our gallery below for a bunch of screens from the game.%Gallery-23580%[Via Siliconera; trailer courtesy of Go Nintendo]
Cave shooters denied XBLA release by Microsoft
Recently Xbox Live Arcade has shown considerable potential as a home for shoot 'em ups, from the Forgotten Worlds-channeling Omega Five to monochrome shooter Ikaruga's looming release. However, to hear talk from 5pb, the devs charged with bringing Cave's nefarious DoDonPachi series as well as its latest shooter Ketsui to XBLA's digital frontier, the platform still has a few nagging hang ups keeping it from becoming a beacon for shmups.Echoing N+ developer Metanet's recent comments concerning what does and does not make it to the service, 5pb spoke out about similar frustrations in the latest issue of Famitsu, revealing that both of its ports of DoDonPachi Dai Ou Jou Black Label X and Ketsui X had been summarily rejected for release over XBLA, with Microsoft claiming that it's "going to cut down on faithful arcade ports." Only faithful ones?We agree that there is certainly a glut of arcade nonsense on XBLA, but this is equivalent to throwing the baby out with the bathwater. 5pb and Cave are reportedly now working to bring both games to market through traditional retail channels in a defiant effort to show Microsoft "that their decision was wrong." Now all we need is a publisher with an eye for niche Japanese releases to pick the games up for release outside of Japan. Altus, are you listening?[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
2 of the greatest shmups rejected for XBLA by MS [update]
With news of Ikaruga's imminent release, and the previous release of Triggerheart Exelica, it would seem to the casual observer that XBLA would be a great place for screen-scrolling shooters. Well, this is not quite so. In the most recent issue of Famitsu, 5pb, the developers in charge of porting Cave's Dodonpachi Daioujou Black Label X and Ketsui X, speak out about their experience with Microsoft's Live Arcade decision making division, and the account sounds eerily similar to the tale told by the developers of N+. In a nutshell, Microsoft told 5pb that they could not put their games on Live Arcade due to the fact that Microsoft is "going to cut down on faithful arcade ports." So 5pb will have to put their two games out via traditional retail channels, but they're quite understandably frustrated and would prefer to bring these two arcade games, and more, to market via XBLA instead of via disc. And this is still horrible news in that it backs up Metanet's assertion that there are problems deciding what content makes it onto XBLA. Hit the break for the full statement from Cave.
More Shoot-em-ups incoming from Japan
As a console that is doing rather poorly in Japan, the 360 receiving two exclusive games from a Japanese developer with a large following is news indeed. The buzz is that there will be two full retail releases exclusive to 360: Ketsui, and DoDonPachi Dai Ou Jou Black Label both of which are shoot-em-ups of the old-school hard-as-nails variety. Similar to Ikaruga, Ketsui and DonDonPachi involve controlling a ship while the screen scrolls by and you're assaulted by numerous waves of enemies who shoot in increasingly difficult-to-dodge geometric patterns. With the rumors surrounding the classic Radiant Silvergun and confirmation of Ikaruga, but nothing concrete on either game, things have been hard for shmup fans. Now, the manic pace of shoot-em-ups isn't for everyone, but for those of us who are fans this confirmation is just pure sugar. [Thanks, Gabriel Gray]
Eight frantic minutes of Ketsui DS
When we last previewed Ketsui DS, the shoot'em up was a barebones affair, a boss-rush remake of Cave's original arcade game. At an event last weekend, however, Ichiro Mihara, publisher Arika's vice president, revealed a versus mode in which players fly through a full stage to build up a "box score" lead over their opponents and hold it for three seconds. Perhaps more compete stages will find their way into the final product?Mihara also announced that Ketsui DS would feature three difficulty settings, the hardest setting being unlockable after finishing the default difficulty. The easy setting is designed to be "clearable for the young women office workers at (our) company." Judging by the bullet-choked video we've posted above, most of us will need that easy setting.Though Arika hasn't yet scheduled a release date for Ketsui DS, the company does plan to include a superplay DVD containing high-scoring footage of the arcade game with each copy. See also: BulletGBA shoots us in the face[Via CAVE-STG]
DS Daily: Space available
Thanks to the Virtual Console, the Wii has become a haven for shooters. But the DS, with no Virtual Console, hasn't. There are very few original shmups on the DS, as well -- pretty much just the Nanostrays and Ketsui. We are of the opinion that any system that can handle a shooter -- which is any system -- should be loaded with them. This is especially true for a platform like the DS, which is both extremely cheap to develop for and ubiquitous. If a niche game is going to do well, it'll be on the DS.So why hasn't the DS become a shooter's paradise? Is the screen gap really that much of a problem? Are shooters too hardcore? Or is there some other reason, do you think, that the DS has yet to fill up with shmups?
Arika's Ketsui DS trailer is boss
Though Nanostray and its sequel have kept the shoot-em-up genre alive on the DS, their action seems watered down when compared to Japanese-developed shmups. Even with its bullets slowed and patterns simplified, Ketsui's arcade-to-DS remake is remarkably more frenzied than Shin'en's efforts.We're not sure yet whether or not developer Arika plans to restrict Ketsui DS to just a boss rush mode due to hardware limitations, but even Mihara, the main man behind the game's handheld production, has reportedly admitted that this would be "a bit of a waste if it was made as such." Either way, after watching the promotional trailer above, we hope Arika will find some way to commercially release the title. See also: BulletGBA shoots us in the face[Via NeoGAF]
