Sigma Star Saga (shmup + rpg = dream come true)*out now*

[classicb]

I searched for a topic on this game but only came up with a few references in other threads and after reading about it in the new GameInformer (they gave it a solid 8.5) I thought it needed its own topic. The idea of a shmup rpg just has me full of anticipation. I really can't wait for this game I hope its great.

official web site

http://sigmastarsaga.namco.com/index.php

[Sothy]

rpg shooter = star control 2.

Granted its mostly an rpg but damn you need some shooter skills to make that pumped up terran/precursor ship drop an Ilrath vessel.

[classicb]

yeah I only played the Genesis version of Star Control. I loved it but this is side scrolling shmup action crossed with rpg elements. nothing that cool has been done since World Court Tennis on the TG-16 when they crossed tennis with a rpg.

[Leroy]

Almost every game has "RPG Element" these days.

[maxlords]

Not like this. This is instantly a MUST buy on my list! I'm buying like three copies for sure! :D

[Graham Mitchell]

Reminds me of one of my all time favorite games: the Guardian Legend. I'll definitely check this out. What'll be interesting is to see how they tied all the different elements together.

[Six Switch]

very corny trailer but that game looks good.i haven't played my game boy in a while so i might just have to pick that up.

[maxlords]

You thought it was corny? I thought it looked darn neat :(

[segagamer4life]

definately, this one looks great, I am definately picking up this one. :D

[le geek]

Sounds good! I want to pick up Riveria first, but between Sigma Star Saga, Rebelstar: TC and Gunstar Super Heroes there is a lot of good "non-kiddie" GBA stuff coming out soon...

Cheers,
Ben

[rbudrick]

Reminds me of one of my all time favorite games: the Guardian Legend. I'll definitely check this out. What'll be interesting is to see how they tied all the different elements together.


Lol, GL is what I thought of first too....such a great game. I nearly crapped my pants when I saw Sigma in a magazine a couple days ago...

-ROb

[slip81]

Yeah I also got excited after reading about this in GI. I'll pick it up on release day for sure.

[Daria]

Wow. That looked freaking awesome.

[maxlords]

Sounds good! I want to pick up Riveria first, but between Sigma Star Saga, Rebelstar: TC and Gunstar Super Heroes there is a lot of good "non-kiddie" GBA stuff coming out soon...

Cheers,
Ben

I'm also dying for Rebelstar: TC :D Hloy crap is the GBA library good! And Rivera = awesome btw :D

[UnInformer]

GBA games are starting to come out in far fewer numbers now that the DS is out. Hopefully between this game, Riviera, Gunstar Super Heroes and the other game people are here talking about (which I have not heard to much about, to be honest. I will keep an eye out for it, though) it can go out honorably.

[classicb]

Don't forget about the GBA micro thing. I think Nintendo is trying to market that to older gamers and to do that their going to need more games that appeal to us. I say good job so far with the list of games that are coming out.

[classicb]

so I guess this game is out now. anyone picked it up yet?

[segagamer4life]

I got it today, so far the game is nice, I booted it up and watched the story, so far it looks great, and the characters are cool, its non-shooter levels, are top-down, the battle sequences are the best, thats where the shooter-elements come into play. I know gamespot rated it kinda harsh, they gave it a 7.6,but thats gamespot... whatdoyaexpect. So far its good and after I get a chance to play it more, I will be back with more on this.

[Jibbajaba]

yeah I only played the Genesis version of Star Control. I loved it but this is side scrolling shmup action crossed with rpg elements. nothing that cool has been done since World Court Tennis on the TG-16 when they crossed tennis with a rpg.

Shame on you x47. Star Control 2 EASILY makes my top ten best games of all time list. And it's been ported to windows as freeware. Go download it now.

http://sc2.sourceforge.net/

Chris

[Slimedog]

yeah I only played the Genesis version of Star Control. I loved it but this is side scrolling shmup action crossed with rpg elements. nothing that cool has been done since World Court Tennis on the TG-16 when they crossed tennis with a rpg.

Shame on you x47. Star Control 2 EASILY makes my top ten best games of all time list. And it's been ported to windows as freeware. Go download it now.

http://sc2.sourceforge.net/

Chris

There really is no comparison between SC and SC2. The first game had no story in game and no personifications of the various races. Anybody who loves SC2 will tell you that dealing with the different races was the best part of the game. Also, unless the Windows version now has the voices (it didn't originally), you should track down the 3DO version instead. Its got the best voice acting ever.

[SoulBlazer]

What system is this game for?

[Oobgarm]

What system is this game for?

Game Boy Advance.

[ManciGames]

Well, I gotta say... I am damn impressed with this game. I know some of you are probably wondering what the heck this game is all about and how it works. So, here's a quick MG mini bullet-review:

-The "shooter" element of the game actually has a pretty decent motivation behind it. Whenever the "star base" that your character is on lands on a planet, some fighter ships remain in space above your base. If the base feels threatened by incoming ships, it has the ability to teleport all pilots (via a special suit you wear) into a random fighter in order to defend its space.

-You usually don't end up in the same type of ship twice in a row, and I've seen about four or five different ships so far.

-Each ship has different characteristics (types of guns equiped, movement speed, armor, etc.)

-These shooter areas replace the "random battles" of a traditional RPG. You are zapped up, given a certain number of enemies to kill, and zapped back down once you clear the area. I have seen quick 30 second areas, boss areas, and a couple of longer two or three minute areas so far.

-Each time you kill an enemy, it releases an "experience pellet" which you must retrieve to actually gain experience.

-The "RPG" portions of the game are pretty simple and straightforward so far. Just the way I like it.

-You carry a pistol for quick real-time firefights here and there. Nothing really challenging.

-The character takes up probably near 20% of the screen, so it's a rather "in your face" perspective. I didn't care much for it at first, as I thought it would limit my exploration of the overworld, but as I stated before, the overworld is pretty simple to navigate.

-The story so far is pretty interesting. Nothing grand, but interesting.

-I'd say the challenge level two hours in is a 2 out of 5, with 5 being the most difficult. That's for both the overworld and shooter elements. Not very challenging, but I am really enjoying the actual game mechanics.

-All in all, I'd say it is well worth the 30 bucks. It's fast paced, fun, and different.

Buy it!

[josekortez]

I saw that the new EGM didn't bother giving Sigma a rating in its reviews column. The magazine briefly mentions it at the end, though.

[ManciGames]

One quick update:

I just hit the second planet and the level of difficulty on both the overworld and shooter sections just got cranked up by a factor of three.

All in all, not too bad, but definitely more of a challenge. The only gripe I have so far is that the game has a tendancy to give you the absolute worst ship for any given area. For example, it will give you the slowest ship on a boss that requires quick movement. Then it will give you the fastest ship on a board that requires you to navigate tiny tunnels, resulting in multiple instant deaths due to moving further than your tap intended you to...

[Cryomancer]

I feel that this game is limited by it's resolution. There are a few things to this game that seem a little off, but it's a really solid formula, and I hope it gets sequels, so it can perfect it.

Oh, and the exp balls register as "dodge" on my shooter sense, even though the shots in the game flash.

[ManciGames]

Oh, and the exp balls register as "dodge" on my shooter sense, even though the shots in the game flash.

I know what ya mean. Took me a while to get used to gravitating toward "projectiles". You get used to it though...

[chrisbid]

One quick update:

I just hit the second planet and the level of difficulty on both the overworld and shooter sections just got cranked up by a factor of three.

All in all, not too bad, but definitely more of a challenge. The only gripe I have so far is that the game has a tendancy to give you the absolute worst ship for any given area. For example, it will give you the slowest ship on a boss that requires quick movement. Then it will give you the fastest ship on a board that requires you to navigate tiny tunnels, resulting in multiple instant deaths due to moving further than your tap intended you to...



no kidding, i dont like how once you get to the second planet you cannot go back to the first to grind exp. but, you can hold the B button to increase your ship speed, however that makes shooting rapidly awkward. i suppose its time i invest in a cube controller with turbo :\

[Daria]

I must really suck at this game, cause I'm having trouble getting past the first stage. And it looked so good too. :/

[chrisbid]

I must really suck at this game, cause I'm having trouble getting past the first stage. And it looked so good too. :/

the intro stage is a bit tough, but a little practice will get you through it. plus it helps to play it on a bigger screen with a gameboy player so you can see all the projectiles :)

[Leroy]

This has got to be the biggest disappointment in gaming that I've been hit with in a LONG time. This game was the greatest concept of all time but utterly fails on almost every aspect. I don't think I've EVER seen a shooter game that was so slow, dull and uninspired. So much potential.. all down the drain.

[EndlessChris]

Yeah guys, if you really know your shooters you'll realize Sigma Star Saga is a failure. If you're a shooter newb maybe you'll find it enjoyable but otherwise there's really no excitement to the stages. Really bland shooting action.

[chrisbid]

for a gba game its not that bad. youre not going to get radiant silvergun on a GBA

[ManciGames]

for a gba game its not that bad. youre not going to get radiant silvergun on a GBA

In addition to that, even, is the fact that it is an RPG. I didn't go into it expecting Silvergun. I expected maybe a little Fantasy Zone, which is basically what I'm getting. I mean, it's not like your typical turn-based RPG battle is excedingly difficult. It's really rather simple and all about leveling up. Just like Sigma Star's shooter elements.

[Leroy]

for a gba game its not that bad. youre not going to get radiant silvergun on a GBA
Yes, for a GBA game it IS that bad.

Here is a short "from memory" list of shooters from early 8-bit and 16-bit hardware that are beyond excellent (sorry for the abundance of Compile stuff, my weakness). I can't fathom how anybody would think that because it's on the GBA that it's somehow granted amnesty from its ineptitude given some of these highly intense and weapon abundant shooters on hardware of yesteryear.

NES (8-bit):
Zanac
Gun*Nac
Guardian Legend
Over Horizon
Gradius/Life Force

PC-Engine (8-bit):
WAY Too Many to List

Genesis (16-bit):
Gaiares
MUSHA
Thunderforce Series
Truxton

SNES (16-bit):
Axelay
Blazeon
Cotton 100%
Chatting Parodius
Phalanx
Space Megaforce

..and so on and so on..

[EndlessChris]

Yeah c'mon team? You're going to tell me that because the GBA isn't the Saturn it's ok for the shooting aspects to be mediocre? The GBA has a ton of power, and games like Iridion II and Gradius Galaxies are great. Sigma Star Saga is a shooter made by people who really don't get shooter design.

[chrisbid]

well lets see

- the controls arent sloppy
- the weapon selection is large
- the graphics are at least average for GBA

the complaints

- there isnt some uppity combo scoring system
- graphics are not stellar
- the controls arent tight, awkward B button speed boost


is this the best thing since sliced bread? no, but its not a steaming pile of dung either. and compared to endless stream of sequels and licensed games, ill gladly give this game a play through.

[calthaer]

Hmm...looks like a coupla days of posts were lost. So, just for the record, I'm going to repeat:

Sigma Star Saga is not attempting to be a shooter. It is also not attempting to be a straight-up RPG. It's trying to be a hybrid shooter / RPG - it's a genre experiment. As an experiment, it was a success, in that it combined these two types of games into one game that still turns out to be fun and interesting.

It may not be as good of an "RPG" as other RPGs, and it may not be as good of a shmup as other shmups, but it sure has me hooked so far.

[blissfulnoise]

Like a lot of other people, I was really looking forward to this game.

After spending some time with it, I won't detail the complaints (and there are quite a few), but some areas that should receive some attention for the (hopeful) sequel.

If you're going to make a game that is essentially a shmup, you need to study from the masters and make a good one.

• A combo system should be mandatory. Give players a reason to use complex assault patterns to more effectively clear a stage. And higher combos should equate to more experience points.

• Changing firing patterns is cool and all of that, but what about fundamentally different weaponry? I know there are some "bullet types" later on that have spread/bubble effects, but it's all the same kind of shot. Take a look at RS or Zanac for examples of good weapon selection.

• I'm a vert kinda guy, so I may be biased, but I'd think this kind of game would work better as a vertical shmup. Especially with no options/bits/etc that are upgrade paths for your ship.

• Fewer random encounters. And getting put into a random ship is a neat idea, but in practice, it doesn't really work for me. Fixed ships please, and make them selectable before going on a mission.

• Control scheme is lacking. The ship should move at optimal speed at all times, the "B" button could be used for something useful like dropping bombs (if you're going to have them, keep them on ALL configurations).

• EXP bubbles look too much like shots. Any ship you shoot down should just reward the exp automatically.

• The level up system is boring. The ship should gain "upgrade" points so you can focus your growth on defense, offense, or versatility (ability to use/customize/expand weapon configurations).

• And if you're going to have an RPG, make it to where you can equip items for your ship. They may add a speed boost, or they may add armor, or more "smart bomb" capacity. Lots of possibilities.

• 2-Player mode anyone? This game begs for it.

Anyway, just wanted to get some of that out there. I do like the game, but probably not enough to finish it. So much potential is here though; I hope that somehow a sequel makes its way into development.

[classicb]

Well it wasn't quite the dream come true that I was looking for.

I'm probably with most of you here who say it's not terrible but lets hope we get a sequel that is much better.

Most of you have already covered my thoughts on the game. For anybody who hasn't gotten it yet I would wait for a price drop. Its worth checking out just not at $30.

[RCM]

Well it wasn't quite the dream come true that I was looking for.

I'm probably with most of you here who say it's not terrible but lets hope we get a sequel that is much better.

Most of you have already covered my thoughts on the game. For anybody who hasn't gotten it yet I would wait for a price drop. Its worth checking out just not at $30.

I've played through this title a bit and i'm not thrilled. I was hoping it would be heavier on the shooting elements. The random battles would be better if they went on longer.
Maybe i'll change my mind once I finish the title, but so far i aint happy.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[Snapple]

I think some people are a bit harsh on the game. It definitely has its flaws, but I'd give it a 7/10 overall.

The customized weapons DO make a big difference. If you don't think so, maybe you just haven't gotten enough of them. And a boss fight can be very easy or very hard depending on how you set up your blaster beforehand.

The story is good. The length of the game certainy lasts longer than most shmups. It has New Game +. Three Endings.


There are two main complaints I have with the game, that are pretty much attributed to the combination of genres. First, there's a little more emphasis on strength (aka levelling) than there is on reflexes. After a certain point in the game, you level up enough to where levels get easy. Too easy to be in a shmup. But then again, most normal RPGs are too easy as well, and nobody really complains about that.

The other thing is that by the time you get halfway through the game or further, the random battles start to get a little tedious. It's nice to be able to level in the process with fun button mashing, but it gets annoying when you're backtracking trying to find your way around a map.

Although, I actually found out that you can kind of cheaply avoid random battles once you get the Girl Wings. I don't think that was an intentional feature by the developers though.

It seems though that some people weren't prepared to play something other than a traditional, pure shmup. Which this game is not. If you can't play the game without comparing it to other shmups instead of being able to enjoy it as its own unique entity, then maybe it's not the game for you.

Think of it as an RPG first, and a shmup second, not the other way around. There's exploration, constant random battles, plot, many gameplay hours, stats. If that kind of typical RPG stuff isn't appealing in the first place to you, you're not going to like the game, even though they crammed a shmup in between all of the RPG events.

But the meat of the shmup stuff is not the random battles, but the "big" levels, of which there are maybe seven or eight or something, I didn't count.

I can see why some people didn't like it, but I did. It's good to see something original for once. I would like to think that people don't totally dismiss the game just because they had very specific pre-conceived notions about it before playing it. Just because some people thought it would be more shmup than RPG doesn't make it a bad game.

[Six Switch]

i have still been meaning to get this.

it still looks good to me,and i am pretty sure i'll have fun with it.price drop yet?

[Snapple]

Well, I found a used copy for about $20. I don't know if the new ones have dropped in price yet. Since it's only been out a few months, they might wait until after Christmas to do that.

[Milk]

I bought a new copy at Best Buy the other day for 20.

[classicb]

milk is chillin lyte is chillin what more can I say top billin