Otomedius Excellent! OUT NOW Gradius/Parodius mashup

[dairugger]

I cant believe weve finally gotten this!, is anyone else going to partake of this gradius/parodius mashup?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZhTwMXBI34&feature=related

[treismac]

If I owned a working XBox 360, I would definitely be picking this up.

[Graham Mitchell]

I haven't turned on my 360 in months. I think this plus Radiant Silvergun may give me a reason to.

[Oobgarm]

Sweet. I'll be grabbing my copy later today, then.

[RCM]

I've been counting down for this release. I hope to pick it up soon.

[substantial_snake]

Looks good, just a shame that its a 360 exclusive.

[Bojay1997]

Pretty sure this was delayed another week to November 8th. At least that's what Amazon and Gamestop are saying.

[Wraith Storm]

Woah... Hold on a second. This is actually getting a physical disc release and not just a XBLA release?

I'm totally going to pick this up. I hadn't heard of it before, but after watching that video in the OP I am pumped! It looks like a regular shooter!!! None of that bullet hell crap!

[RCM]

Woah... Hold on a second. This is actually getting a physical disc release and not just a XBLA release?

I'm totally going to pick this up. I hadn't heard of it before, but after watching that video in the OP I am pumped! It looks like a regular shooter!!! None of that bullet hell crap!

There's a special edition too.

[Oobgarm]

Yep, stopped by Gamestop and got the "uh I don't know about that game" runaround. All those guys have on their mind right now is Saints Row and Call of Duty, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Looks like Amazon has the standard edition in stock (only 20 left as of this post).

I can wait a week, I've waited a couple months since the last "delay".

[dairugger]

i got the same from gamestop, the guy had a hard time with the name otomedius, "is that a japanese game?" he asked..

[hashiriya1]

My review of Otomedius Gorgeous. ;)

http://igjournal.blogspot.com/2011/01/otomedius-gorgeous-review-xbox-360.html

[Bojay1997]

Konami confirmed on their Twitter feed that yesterday was their ship date, not the release date. It might be a few days until copies arrive at retailers, although Amazon does seem to have the Standard Edition in right now.

[Flashback2012]

I stopped into Gamestop to pick it up but it wasn't available yet. :|

My friend was working and she informed me it would be in on Thursday so I paid off the pre-order balance and will pick it up tomorrow. :)

[dairugger]

what sucks is that gamestop is only carrying the limited edition (50.00), if you want the standard edition you have to look elsewhere. best buy is said to carry it, as well as amazon.com.

[hashiriya1]

I got it a while back (Gorgeous), it's OK. I have a review of it on my blog if you click the banner. It's in January 2011 somewhere.

[dairugger]

isnt gorgeous a different game than excellent?, i just checked, excellent is a sequel to gorgeous.

[hashiriya1]

isnt gorgeous a different game than excellent?



Yeah, it's a sequel, but at you know what to expect by reading the previous game's review.:)

[soloman]

what sucks is that gamestop is only carrying the limited edition (50.00), if you want the standard edition you have to look elsewhere. best buy is said to carry it, as well as amazon.com.

Some retailers didn't recieve the full stock. Amazon doesn't have the CE version but some Gamestops do and so forth. Konami dropped the ball with this launch. Maybe this will end up being a super rare title like Konami's Ninja Five O.

[Colorado Rockies]

Some retailers didn't recieve the full stock. Amazon doesn't have the CE version but some Gamestops do and so forth. Konami dropped the ball with this launch. Maybe this will end up being a super rare title like Konami's Ninja Five O.

Amazon has the CE version in stock.
http://www.amazon.com/Otomedius-Excellent-Special-Xbox-360/dp/B004ZGYZXS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320303658&sr=8-1

[dairugger]

i called gamestop, they said theyd only be carrying the limited version. the standard version isnt on their website.

[c0ldb33r]

So is it available today? Or next Thursday?

[dairugger]

http://www.siliconera.com/2011/10/31/mine-yoshizaki-and-koji-igarashi-on-creating-otomedius-excellent/

Mine Yoshizaki And Koji Igarashi On Creating Otomedius Excellent

By Spencer . October 31, 2011 . 2:48pm



Otomedius Excellent comes out tomorrow and we sat down with the team to discuss Konami’s moe shooter. Let’s meet them! Koji Igarashi, perhaps best known for his work on the Castlevania games, is the producer of Otomedius Excellent. Arcade veteran Takashi Hamano created the series and Sgt. Frog creator Mine Yoshizaki is the game’s character designer.



While Konami was a pioneer with arcade shooters, Konami took a break from deep space. Why did you want to return to genre?



Takashi Hamano, Otomedius series creator: At the beginning, I wanted to release content, which had kind of media mix elements. Then I chose the shooter genre, which was one of our specialties. Actually, the long interval between developing of previous title made me anxious, but that also made me not to be mired in the past in a way so I could achieve developing a new type of shooter for Konami.



How did the Otomedius project begin and were there any other ideas for characters aside from lady… ships?



TH: First I had the basic idea of beautiful ladies plus side-scrolling shooter. I researched artists when I created the characters, then finally reached the conclusion, Mine Yoshizaki-sensei. Since Yoshizaki-sensei himself was a fan of shooters, he had tons of ideas.



The main characters were fixed very smoothly. I remember that our considerations concentrated on ladies, not happened going off on other ideas much.



I was a bit surprised to see Otomedius Excellent slated for North America. How do you feel about the international release and was this always the plan?



Koji Igarashi, Producer: We did not plan originally for the release in North America. However, we received the opinions that they would like to play this in US more than what we expected, so we decided to do it.



The characters are totally designed for Japanese market, but I think there are lots of users who comprehend this game, so we look forward for the release.







The girls of Otomedius have a lot of personality. Can you tell us how you created the characters and which one is your favorite?



Mine Yoshizaki, Character Designer: This is a side-scrolling shooter, so what I cared most about that the design and silhouette of the characters from the side view.



I like to use Anoa the most while I’m playing. But, when I’m asked for my favorite character as a whole, I like them all.



I think for newcomers, shooters are difficult to get into. Many games moved to flooding the screen with bullets to challenge veterans while other players get flustered. What do you think of this and how did you balance the design of Otomedius Excellent to suit both groups?



KI: Many of shooters today are called "Bullet Hell" with lots of bullets targeting you on the screen. So, we adjusted bullet path based on the original Gradius for Otomedius Excellent.



We created this game with the wish that newcomers can enjoy on the concept of Otomedius. There are difficult levels, but we want users to enjoy the fun of shooters by playing the simple mode. In easy mode, players have the force field from the beginning, so it makes easier for the users to play.





The only Gradius projects I’ve seen are the pachislot machine and the mobile phone tactics game Gradius Arc. Will we see an Otomedius sequel or a new Gradius title? Are more games "scrolling" through development?



KI: No comment about the next title in this series. As you know, the side-scrolling shooting game does not have a big market. However, this is also a market where long standing fans exist. Based on that situation we have to consider what kind of business should be suitable for that genre.



How did Kokoro Belmont come about? Was Konami considering any other guest characters aside from the ones included in Excellent?



KI: Basically, I always discuss and consider characters with Yoshizaki-sensei. From the beginning of this series, we wanted to bring the characters from Konami IP into the world of Otomedius. So, it was natural to come up the idea to have the character from Castlevania.



MY: We brought Emon Five as a playable character from the action game, The Legend of the Mystical Ninja as a surprise in the previous title. So, in the same way, we thought the guest in the next title must be from Castlevania. It is always hard to choose a character because there are many attractive characters in Konami IP.

[Oobgarm]

Some retailers didn't recieve the full stock. Amazon doesn't have the CE version but some Gamestops do and so forth. Konami dropped the ball with this launch. Maybe this will end up being a super rare title like Konami's Ninja Five O.

Generally speaking, if a statement like that is made, it's not going to be.

[soloman]

Amazon has the CE version in stock.
http://www.amazon.com/Otomedius-Excellent-Special-Xbox-360/dp/B004ZGYZXS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320303658&sr=8-1

Nice. Let's see how things go. Bit.Trip.Saga was such a hassle to get because for a week it was like no retailer even knew the game existed.

[Graham Mitchell]

I ordered the CE version from Best Buy yesterday but it's on back order. They're expecting it to arrive in December. Oh well, at least I'll get a copy.

[c0ldb33r]

the CE edition comes with a pillow case? weird.

I want the CE edition because of the art book and music CD.

The fact that it includes a pillow case kind of makes me not want to get it. I feel like an otaku. :(

[Aussie2B]

Yeah, Konami has no shame. Good game or not, this is a sad reflection on the current state of shmups. I don't mind when they do this kind of stuff for weeaboo RPGs, but something about this game just feels wrong.

Of course, I have no shame myself, so I'm sure I'll pick it up eventually, if only for the TwinBee connections.

[substantial_snake]

The pillow case thing seems to be a trend now for special editions to games that are "really japanese". I think Catherine had it an a few others and I kinda feel the same way, its just a weird thing to add to a special edition of a game.

[Flashback2012]

Got a confirmation text this afternoon saying it would be in the store on Friday. I stopped in on Thursday and it hadn't arrived yet. I'm just hoping I don't have to make a 4th trip. ;)

[Gameguy]

The fact that it includes a pillow case kind of makes me not want to get it. I feel like an otaku. :(
This stuff is real.

http://yeinjee.com/2010/korean-man-married-anime-pillow/
http://iliekyanderes.blogspot.com/2010/05/korean-otaku-marries-fate-testarossa.html

[dairugger]

the CE edition comes with a pillow case? weird.

I want the CE edition because of the art book and music CD.

The fact that it includes a pillow case kind of makes me not want to get it. I feel like an otaku. :(

the pillow case is so you can practice french kissing, duh!

[Oobgarm]

Got a confirmation text this afternoon saying it would be in the store on Friday. I stopped in on Thursday and it hadn't arrived yet. I'm just hoping I don't have to make a 4th trip. ;)

I got the text too. I stopped in yesterday to pick up something else (BttF for PS3) and the manager told me that he got an email telling him that it would be in Friday.

I hadn't been out of the store more than 2 minutes and I got the text.

[Flashback2012]

I got the text too. I stopped in yesterday to pick up something else (BttF for PS3) and the manager told me that he got an email telling him that it would be in Friday.

I hadn't been out of the store more than 2 minutes and I got the text.

Hopefully it showed up today. :)

And I'm stumped....BttF? It's probably something simple and I'm just not thinking of it. @_@

[Oobgarm]

Back to the Future. The Telltale PC game got ported over. $20 is a good deal, I think.

[saferkefka]

i picked up my copy today from gs. i'm kinda pissed though 'cause the box is squashed on the top. i called a friends store to see if he had any extra copies. he told me the nearest store with a copy was 450 miles away. grrr.

[c0ldb33r]

I got the ce edition today. My box was a little squished on the side. Not bad just a little.

My wife teased me about the pillow case. A lot.

[Aussie2B]

Heh, I'm such a loser. After talking trash about it a bit yesterday, I caved and ordered it today, haha. After looking into it more, I really feel conflicted about it. Other than Konami following suit with the moe loli trend, everything else sounds awesome. The amazing composer line-up, the arrangement of tunes from Konami's whole history of shmups, the references to all of these games (especially TwinBee for me), the fact that it's NOT bullet hell, there's a lot of stuff worth showing my support for. I hope this is a sign for good things to come with the shmup genre, but hopefully they won't take it as there being no future with shmups unless they have lolis.

[Oobgarm]

Got my copy from GS today as well, box crushed a bit. Sigh.

[XYXZYZ]

I love shooters, but I just might be avoiding this one on account of I'm really starting to hate all this Japanese pedo-girlie shit. I don't know, maybe I'll get it.

So is it fun?

[dairugger]

no one in my freakin town has it!

[Oobgarm]

I love shooters, but I just might be avoiding this one on account of I'm really starting to hate all this Japanese pedo-girlie shit. I don't know, maybe I'll get it.

So is it fun?

It is fun. It's old-school side scrolling shooter fun.

But the Japanese girlie stuff is really, really up front and persistent. I look past it, though I guess it really doesn't bother me that much.

[Gameguy]

But the Japanese girlie stuff is really, really up front and persistent.
Hasn't that always been around though? Stuff like Cotton, Valis, Keio Flying Squadrun, and Magical Chase come to mind. They're "cute 'em ups", they aren't that new. Valis may not really be a "cute 'em up" but the overall theme is the same.

[Richter Belmount]

But the Japanese girlie stuff is really, really up front and persistent. I look past it, though I guess it really doesn't bother me that much.

Something tells me your drooling all over the limited edition pillow at night.

[Kid Fenris]

Oobgarm, I fear Richter Belmount is madly in love with your anime pillow and will stab you for it, so please take every precaution. I have never seen him in person but I believe him to be a hirsute Swede about seven feet high.

At least he's not aussie2b, who buys creepy porn comics (http://digitpress.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1820860&postcount=64) based on games starring little robot girls.

Otomedius got nothing on that, boyo.

[Aussie2B]

It's cute how you hold onto a grudge for years and years, Kid Fenris. You must stalk my posts looking for any mention of Wonder Project J2, huh? I'm sorry you don't have anything better to do with your life. Thanks for bringing more attention to my collections, though.

I'd present a comparison of the girls of Otomedius to Josette to show how vastly different they are, but I know you're just trolling and that it would be wasted effort.

[Flashback2012]

I acquired my copy this afternoon from GS. My friend was working and set me aside a rather nice looking copy. :)

[XYXZYZ]

Hasn't that always been around though? Stuff like Cotton, Valis, Keio Flying Squadrun, and Magical Chase come to mind. They're "cute 'em ups", they aren't that new. Valis may not really be a "cute 'em up" but the overall theme is the same.

Right, and I actually like those games. It's not the focus on female characters that bothers me, its just that the recent "moe" theme (Japanese pedo-girlie shit) has an obnoxiousness that Cotton and Valis didn't have.

[theclaw]

I'm not sure if I should pick up this preorder right now. My gamertag was hacked in the recent FIFA debacle...

[c0ldb33r]

I don't get the pedo comments.

Now, I've only played with the default blue haired character and she had huge boobs practically falling out. Way too big to be underage.

Pervy? Yes. Pedo? No.

[soloman]

I don't get the pedo comments.

Now, I've only played with the default blue haired character and she had huge boobs practically falling out. Way too big to be underage.

Pervy? Yes. Pedo? No.

Anime age range
10-16 adult or old enough to do whatever without supervision
17-20 seasoned veteran
21-24 old
25+ senior citizen

I kid. This game makes me crave an actual Parodius title or atleast something from Konami that isn't MGS or Castlevania.

And why is it manufacturers can't box properly? I've seen game boxes at Wal-Mart and they literally shove them in a box (with no packing) then shove them in a bigger box with bubble wrap.

[sidnotcrazy]

Looks good, just a shame that its a 360 exclusive.

This game, and the Raiden games will make me get a 360.

[c0ldb33r]

What's with the slowdown in this game btw? It doesn't ruin it, but it is surprising.

[saferkefka]

What's with the slowdown in this game btw? It doesn't ruin it, but it is surprising.

It's supposed to be a "feature". i guess konami felt the need to throw it in for nostalgic reasons.

[Oobgarm]

I think the slowdown is awesome.

And Richter can consume feces.

[c0ldb33r]

Oh okay - as long as its intentional.

I thought that it was due to poor programming. I was pretty surprised :eek:

[XYXZYZ]

I don't get the pedo comments.


The "Japanese pedo-girlie shit" thing was a comment about the "moe (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/lexicon.php?id=77)" genre in general. They may be a little better endowed than usual, but Otomedius looks pretty moeish to me.

[Icarus Moonsight]

It's supposed to be a "feature". i guess konami felt the need to throw it in for nostalgic reasons.

Gradius 3 SNES throwback would be my guess. Hmm... I guess they'll eventually limit options to two as a feature again someday.

I ordered from Amazon yesterday. I might not be up with the new stuff or even care to be anymore, but I certainly will buy every new shmup, ASAP.

[Cryomancer]

The "Japanese pedo-girlie shit" thing was a comment about the "moe (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/lexicon.php?id=77)" genre in general. They may be a little better endowed than usual, but Otomedius looks pretty moeish to me.

If it helps any, Yoshizaki Mine has been drawing more or less the same way since at least the early 90s, before the moe trend really exploded. You can tell differences between his newer and older stuff but it's mostly just standard artistic evolution (coupled with changes in art medium, ie computers). It's just kind of how he draws girls. He's got a long history in the game industry, and on game related manga too. I'm sure he's been influenced by the total damn moe takeover and all, but it's not like they just hired some new guy who worships Lucky Star as the standard of high art or something.

edit: he even did the Twinbee manga: http://www.jap-sai.com/Press/Gamest/Gamest_Comics_011_A.jpg

[Carnby]

Generally speaking, if a statement like that is made, it's not going to be.

Not a single Best Buy or Game Stop in Albany, NY are carrying it. I did locate a copy, and I won't have to travel far. But I find it odd that the capital of New York State didn't get one. lol

[sidnotcrazy]

Not a single Best Buy or Game Stop in Albany, NY are carrying it. I did locate a copy, and I won't have to travel far. But I find it odd that the capital of New York State didn't get one. lol

Best Buy doesn't surprise me but Game Stop should have it. But then again its getting worse to locate games that are not called Battlefield 3, or MW3. I just like a nice variety, but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

[Carnby]

I found a Game Stop outside of Albany, NY that was carrying one copy. The condition of it was very good. Only one or two small dings in the cardboard case. I would rather buy this in person than order it from Amazon, where it would be guaranteed that my copy would be damaged in shipping.

[Carnby]

Best Buy doesn't surprise me but Game Stop should have it. But then again its getting worse to locate games that are not called Battlefield 3, or MW3. I just like a nice variety, but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore.
I found a Game Stop outside of Albany, NY that was carrying one copy. The condition of it was very good. Only one or two small dings in the cardboard case. I would rather buy this in person than order it from Amazon, where it would be guaranteed that my copy would be damaged in shipping.

[BenG76]

I ordered one from Amazon a couple days ago. It should be arriving soon.

[dairugger]

I called around today, bestbuy didnt have it, nor walmart. couldnt try frys electronics- someone doesnt know how to answer the phone, i kept getting a fax sound, or it would pick up then hang up. then nothing but a busy tone... for 30 minutes.

i tried 6 gamestops, out of the ones that the website said had it, only 2 said they had 1 to sell. one said theyd hold it for me, but came back on a minute later to say their manager had reserved it for someone else. the other gamestop said they couldnt guarantee theyd hold it for me, theyd try, but couldnt guarantee anything as i hadnt preordered it.

i drove 39 miles to get it, only to be in this huge ass line for call of duty!, took 25 minutes to get to the counter, i almost had a heart attack when the guy said they didnt have any for walk-ins as they had all been preordered. i did get the last one, in really good condition tho.

seems like the games i like stores make you preorder or you wont get it. the last time this happend was starfox 3ds!, the clerks reveled in that fact. i found a copy at bestbuy and told them to forget the whole damn thing.

[Richter Belmount]

I called around today, bestbuy didnt have it, nor walmart. couldnt try frys electronics- someone doesnt know how to answer the phone, i kept getting a fax sound, or it would pick up then hang up. then nothing but a busy tone... for 30 minutes.

i tried 6 gamestops, out of the ones that the website said had it, only 2 said they had 1 to sell. one said theyd hold it for me, but came back on a minute later to say their manager had reserved it for someone else. the other gamestop said they couldnt guarantee theyd hold it for me, theyd try, but couldnt guarantee anything as i hadnt preordered it.

i drove 39 miles to get it, only to be in this huge ass line for call of duty!, took 25 minutes to get to the counter, i almost had a heart attack when the guy said they didnt have any for walk-ins as they had all been preordered. i did get the last one, in really good condition tho.

seems like the games i like stores make you preorder or you wont get it. the last time this happend was starfox 3ds!, the clerks reveled in that fact. i found a copy at bestbuy and told them to forget the whole damn thing.

http://www.amazon.com/Otomedius-Excellent-Special-Xbox-360/dp/B004ZGYZXS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320737319&sr=8-1

[dairugger]

i know im a glutton for punishment, lol, but for me the hunt is a big part of the fun.

[dairugger]

heres one of the worst reviews ive ever read.

http://www.gameinformer.com/games/otomedius_excellent/b/xbox360/archive/2011/11/09/otomedius-excellent-review.aspx

"The power-up system is different than other shooters, allowing for a little bit of customization both prior to starting the game, and during actual combat. You basically put together an ordered list of power-ups you would like to use, and you can activate them as you choose. If you want the third item on your list, you must collect three power-ups. If you want the first, you only need to collect one. When selecting your power-ups prior to starting, there are visual representations that define exactly what the power-ups do. Once you start the game, though, those visuals disappear, and the only indicator of your power-up is the Japanese name, which isn’t helpful. Despite carefully selecting the power-ups you want, you will find yourself taking part in trial and error until you memorize exactly what does what."

apparently the reviewers never played a gradius game, and of course he bags on the anime style, and their bust size, which is weird because ive seen bigger boobs on western developed games. and why do people call the single player mode "campaign"?

[c0ldb33r]

Wow. It's clear that the guy's never played Gradius. He really shouldn't be reviewing this game. What a tit.

[youruglyclone]

I found a Game Stop outside of Albany, NY that was carrying one copy. The condition of it was very good. Only one or two small dings in the cardboard case. I would rather buy this in person than order it from Amazon, where it would be guaranteed that my copy would be damaged in shipping.

ugh amen to that, had to return my copy to amazon.

[Graham Mitchell]

heres one of the worst reviews ive ever read.

http://www.gameinformer.com/games/otomedius_excellent/b/xbox360/archive/2011/11/09/otomedius-excellent-review.aspx

"The power-up system is different than other shooters, allowing for a little bit of customization both prior to starting the game, and during actual combat. You basically put together an ordered list of power-ups you would like to use, and you can activate them as you choose. If you want the third item on your list, you must collect three power-ups. If you want the first, you only need to collect one. When selecting your power-ups prior to starting, there are visual representations that define exactly what the power-ups do. Once you start the game, though, those visuals disappear, and the only indicator of your power-up is the Japanese name, which isn’t helpful. Despite carefully selecting the power-ups you want, you will find yourself taking part in trial and error until you memorize exactly what does what."

apparently the reviewers never played a gradius game, and of course he bags on the anime style, and their bust size, which is weird because ive seen bigger boobs on western developed games. and why do people call the single player mode "campaign"?

That's game informer for you. I've been bitching about their reviews on these forums for years. They expect every game to look and play like Call of Duty or Uncharted. Everything else is not worth your money according to them. That's what happens when all your reviewers are 23.

[Icarus Moonsight]

Notice: After pissing all over it, and outright stating he had a hard time finding anything redeeming in the game...

Replay Value: Moderately High

(Translation from Numbnardian to English)
Reviewer Sobriety Level: Insanely High

[BenG76]

Got mine from Amazon Thursday. It arrived in very goo shape in a nice box with some padding. I havent played it yet though. I dont think I will be unsealing the pillow case though thats just kinda weird for me. I hope to give this a some play time over this weekend.

[sidnotcrazy]

1868320apparently the reviewers never played a gradius game, and of course he bags on the anime style, and their bust size, which is weird because ive seen bigger boobs on western developed games. and why do people call the single player mode "campaign"?

Yeah, I agree! Mortal Kombat comes to mind. Every female fighter has huge boobs. But I haven't heard one complaint from game magazines, or websites.

[Carnby]

It seems the seller's market has caught up. Amazon no longer has special edition copies, and others are selling it as low as 80 dollars.

Ironically it is the same day that I returned my copy to gamestop so that I could afford the MGS HD Collection Limited Edition that popped up on Amazon at MSRP. No regrets. I'd rather have the MGS LE that comes with a beautiful art book instead of an anime pillow case. I still want Otomedius, hopefully the prices come back down in the future.

Edit: I don't want to get the impression that I'm a hater. I want Otomedius, but my credit card is currently waiting charges for MGS HD Collection LE, the Zavvi world exclusive MGS Ultimate HD Collection, and RISK: MGS LE. I have to make the choice of what I really want to pay interest on.