I'm so confused (deceptive cover art)...

[Xexyz]

Okay, so today I went out to add some bulk to my new Playstation collection. One game I've been looking at since before I got my PSOne was Mobile Light Force. Behind the deceptive cover art was what looked like a real kick-ass shmup. I was right, but then things got confusing.

As soon as I saw that rabbit on the screen I knew it had to be Marin's, a character from Psikyo's Gunbird series, and since I know Gunbird 2 like the back of my hand thanks to the DC version, the only other one it could be was the origional. I was excited, because I thought this game never got a state side release, but it did thanks to some budget morons known as XS.

Why did they put three hot chicks blowing things up with hand guns for the games cover art and opening screen when the game has NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT! My goodness, it's a good thing this wound up being a Psikyo shmup or else I would of probably had purchased a dud.

Sex sells, but for those people out there expecting some lengthy, boring FPA or adventure game... well, they must of been pissed LOL


I guess to expand on this topic, I'll ask: Are there any other games out there with deceptive boxart such as Mobile Light Force?

[googlefest1]

as far as i have seen the 2 games with the same covers on the PSX and the PS2 were the only ones - that were that bad

when i found out i was hornswagled - i took it back and they actualy gave me a full refund - i told them it was a game with a wrong name - that the game in there is gunbrid not mobile light force - they had no idea what i was talking about and just took it back as defective

[Slimedog]

Many of the XS are guilty of this. Sorcerers Maze is actually a pretty good breakout game, but you would never guess. Also there is a pinball game for Xbox that inexplicably has 4 babes in various getups on the front. No reason why, just because sex sells I guess. Oh and Phallanx for SNES.

[bargora]

as far as i have seen the 2 games with the same covers on the PSX and the PS2 were the only ones - that were that bad

when i found out i was hornswagled - i took it back and they actualy gave me a full refund - i told them it was a game with a wrong name - that the game in there is gunbrid not mobile light force - they had no idea what i was talking about and just took it back as defective
And what's wrong with Gunbird?

[hezeuschrist]

as far as i have seen the 2 games with the same covers on the PSX and the PS2 were the only ones - that were that bad

when i found out i was hornswagled - i took it back and they actualy gave me a full refund - i told them it was a game with a wrong name - that the game in there is gunbrid not mobile light force - they had no idea what i was talking about and just took it back as defective

The game that is actually on the disc is far better than anything XS could have created that was representative of the cover art.

[Dire 51]

That, and they chopped the game to hell. No cinemas, no ending, stupid new title screen... ARGH.

[le geek]

I dunno Super Breakout?
http://home.wanadoo.nl/jdetlev/superbreakout.jpg

Cheers,
Ben

[Gemini-Phoenix]

I too was confused to why they A) Changed the name (Gunbird is a much loved brand) and B) Put a pic of three Pamela Anderson wannabe's on the front...

I was put off buying this originally believing it to be some girlie kind of game similar to Pammy's V.I.P. or something like Tomb Raider. It wasn't until I looked deeper that I noticed it was a shump - And boy was I surprised when I put it on to play!


Thing is, we have since had the Gunbird Collection released on the PS2 - Which has both I and II (Albeit a cut version without Morrigan)

So how come it was called Mobile Light Force but now they have gone back to calling it Gunbird??? Doesn't make sense.


The DC game was pretty kick ass, and is one of my most played DC games I have. Thing is, that too was also released under the Gunbird name...

[tholly]

Oh and Phallanx for SNES.

Phallanx has to have some of the best box art I have seen.....it's just such a goofy picture. I saw it on here and when I found a complete copy in the wild for like $5 I just had to pick it up because of the box art....I haven't played the game though.

[Xexyz]

That, and they chopped the game to hell. No cinemas, no ending, stupid new title screen... ARGH.

Yes, upon further playing I've noticed that this game is butchered to hell. I've never played the original Gunbird outside of this port but I know Psikyo has small cut scenes and other goodies in between levels... I wish Agetec did this port. They did a damn fine job with Strikers 1945 and they do good aracde to console ports in general.

My biggest beef with the game though is the lack of screen modes... WTF, no resized screen, not even TATE!!? The scrolling screen (Origional 2 in Gunbird 2) is one of the worst options, and it's default in this game! Despite that, it's a bit more tollerable in this game since its far from being the borderline manic shmup that Gunbird 2 is. XS did a better job with Sol Divide...


Oh, and to Gemini-Phoenix, Gunbird 2 isn't cut in the PS2 compilation. Morrigan was never in the arcade version of Gunbird 2. Psikyo was probably coaxed into adding her since Capcom was publishing the DC version.

[Blitzwing256]

I ended up buying both mobile light force games, and I have to say they were really great games, and removing all the anime stuff from them didn't bother me at all (doesn't add anything to the gameplay. they were both dirt cheap budget games, abouit 10 for the psx one and 15 for the ps2 one (I think i got them used for about 5-10 each)

I think the psx one was a bit better overall though.

[Ed Oscuro]

Oh and Phallanx for SNES.

Phallanx has to have some of the best box art I have seen.....it's just such a goofy picture. I saw it on here and when I found a complete copy in the wild for like $5 I just had to pick it up because of the box art....I haven't played the game though.
Heh, the x68000 version's cover art is superb (game looks much better too). GameSpy put Phalanx's art at #5, I think, for their worst game covers of all time feature (no way!), which is pretty unfair given how intensely awesome it is :)

[Gemini-Phoenix]

So is Mobile Light Force II a re-release of Gunbird II then???

If so, then that is really messed up, seeing as how teh DC one was called Gunbird II...


I hate the tiny square screen you have to use in MLF I - It's even worse if you are playing on the PSone with the LCD attached...


I also assumed that the DC version of Gunbird II was a direct port - I didn't realise that the extra characters were especially for the DC port.

[SkiDragon]

Phalanx has to be one of the best box artworks out there. What other game has gained such notoriety due to its cover?

[Dire 51]

So is Mobile Light Force II a re-release of Gunbird II then???

Nope, MLF2 is actually Shikigami no Shiro - again, butchered as badly as Gunbird was. MLF originally was Gunbird in Japan, but when Xs got the rights to release it here they took out (almost) all of the Gunbird-related text, cinemas, etc. and retitled it Mobile Light Force. They did the same with SnS when they decided to release MLF2.

If you want to play the original Gunbird (which is highly recommended), you'll have to track down either the PSX/Saturn imports, or the aforementioned PS2 comp. Or you could MAME it.

[Gemini-Phoenix]

I do believe that the PS1 / Saturn Jap games are pretty hard to find, and both highly in demand as well!

Is it the PLayStation one which is considered more rare and commands quite a high price on eBay???


The PS2 Gunbird Special Edition isn't a Capcom release though, which I found weird. It's released by another budget company - Xplosiv

[Dire 51]

I do believe that the PS1 / Saturn Jap games are pretty hard to find, and both highly in demand as well!

Is it the PLayStation one which is considered more rare and commands quite a high price on eBay???


The PS2 Gunbird Special Edition isn't a Capcom release though, which I found weird. It's released by another budget company - Xplosiv

The PSX and Saturn versions are both on the rare side, so I've heard. I was able to track down and buy the Saturn version a couple years back for under $20, but that may have just been me being in the right place at the right time.

Capcom had nothing to do with the series originally, they just ported GB2 to the DC. Psikyo created the original arcade games, Atlus released GB1 for the PSX and Saturn. I'm not surprised that Xplosiv did the special edition, even though I'd never heard of them until now.

[Snapple]

Phalanx has to be one of the best box artworks out there. What other game has gained such notoriety due to its cover?

The original Mega Man. *shudders*

[Captain Wrong]

So how come it was called Mobile Light Force but now they have gone back to calling it Gunbird??? Doesn't make sense.

Put the release in the context of when it came out. The Charlie's Angels movie was red hot. Rather than actually make a licensed game, XS slapped cover art and a title screen on two totally unrelated games in a blatant attempt to cash in.

I think Dire covered what happened to Morrigan, but I'll cover it again anyway. Morrigan appeared only in the DC port of Gunbird II as a bonus character becasue Capcom was handling the home port. Just like how MegaMan appeared in the DC port of Cannon Spike, another Psyiko game Capcom was releasing.

Also, see my Mobile Light Force Rant here... http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10386&highlight=mobile+light+force

[Dire 51]

Good rant, Cap... I missed that before. I feel exactly the same way.

While we're on the subject, we were playing a little game a while back that used Xs' retitling of Gunbird and SnS as a jumping off point. Check it out: http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=681338&highlight=#681338

[rbudrick]

Phalanx has to be one of the best box artworks out there. What other game has gained such notoriety due to its cover?

Seriously, Phalanx was AWESOME cover art. It caught your eye and demanded you look at it. Anyone that calls that bad doesn't know shit about marketing.

The Legend of Kage for NES really pissed me off an let me down as a kid. I wanted the damn game so badly because I loved the arcade version so much. The back of the NES box showed pics of the arcade version. Sooooooo deceptive. It should be illegal. They didn't even put a note on there saying where the pics were from.

-Rob

[Haoie]

Not just boxart, the opening FMV if there is any often is very very different to how the real game plays.

Some examples of good opening lame gameplay [for the PS] included Digimon World 3, Vampire Hunter D, and MDK.

[googlefest1]

as far as i have seen the 2 games with the same covers on the PSX and the PS2 were the only ones - that were that bad

when i found out i was hornswagled - i took it back and they actualy gave me a full refund - i told them it was a game with a wrong name - that the game in there is gunbrid not mobile light force - they had no idea what i was talking about and just took it back as defective
And what's wrong with Gunbird?

nothing is wrong with gunbird i liek the game - but i already had it and didnt need one on the playstation

[Slimedog]

So I'm glad XS dropped this whole Mobile Light Force travesty from Castle Shikagami 2. The game is a much better port overall and those idiot Charlies Angles clones stuck out like a sore thumb. But as a point of interest, check the instruction book, they still refer to the bomb attack as the Mobile Light Force Attack. Glad they sobered up before they released it as "Mobile Light Force 3".

[Dire 51]

Thank god for small favors.