The most aesthetic Cave STG.

[exersia]

Basically, I thought it would be interesting to hear some opinions on personal favorites on what you guys think is the most aesthetically pleasing. What's your favorite eye candy? Disregarding how the game itself plays, what do you guys think is the prettiest Cave game? Including ship design, level design, bullet patterns, colors, characters, and just how the game presents itself while running.

I'd have to say DoDonPachi Daifukkatsu. Mushihimesama Futari and PinkSweets trail close behind though.

[Monouchi]

Espgaluda II hands down.
The techno music combined with those bullets and insane amounts of gold on the screen together with the semi-3D backgrounds and characters with colorful wings.

[drunkninja]

Futari without a doubt IMO.

[emphatic]

ESPGALUDA. For the same reasons as monouchi, but without the SH3 blur and the not-as-good soundtrack.  Ketsui is really close second for me though. The PGM games rocks.

[bitkid]

Surprised nobody has nominated Guwange yet. That game just flows from start to finish. Its a pretty obvious choice for me as the game is so unique.
Something about the bullet shapes in that game also really appeal to me. I prefer the angularity that the bullets have as opposed to the amorphous blob
characteristics of some of the more recent titles. Plus the sound track in Guwange is so awesome, almost every song is catchy and really goes with the mood.


EDIT: Whoops -- almost nuked this.  Sucks that the Modify & Quote buttons are so close together. O_O
-GP

[GaijinPunch]

Surprised nobody has nominated Guwange yet.

Only b/c I haven't gotten in here.  "Old Japan" is something that intrigues me... mainly b/c the country was flattened during the war.  Not that that matters, as they'd have torn everything down and rebuilt 4 times over by now anyway.  But, the point is, that style of Japan is by and large long gone, so when it's properly expressed, I dig. 

And...
Shamisen > cheesy techno

[lmagus]

for me it's futari and daifukkatsu

nothing else comes even close

[Aliquantic]

Guwange is my first choice by far too, and GP has argued that case far better than I ever could! I love what Cave has gone with EspRaDe especially given it was one of their first games, but I have to go with Espgaluda II as my second choice... though DOJ stage 1 deserves an honorable mention too.

[SuperPang]

Futari with its ugly pre-renders? No thanks.

Guwange for art direction.
Feveron for awesome pixel art spaceships.
Akai Katana for all round detail and colour.

[Sapz]

ESPGaluda II by a pretty large margin, it just does so many things right for me. There's the kickass soundtrack, the awesome way the fourth boss grows as you defeat him (and the cackling faces never get old), Seseri's fight, the landscape behind the final boss, and the whole wings theme in general. Maybe the best moment for me is the spin and ascent just before the third midboss (which is essentially a goddamn fortress on rails) appears, with the sunset in front of you, timed just as the music kicks in. It is glorious.

[Pointman]

Even though I'm not that much of a fan of the game I think Ibara has a great visual style. There is something about shooting the enemy, taking them apart piece by piece and watching debris fly off in every direction.

[dorakyura]

I think Ibara has a great visual style. There is something about shooting the enemy, taking them apart piece by piece and watching debris fly off in every direction.

This and Ibara BL adds to the feeling when ploughing through hords of enemies trying to stay close to the stream of bullets chasing you. The amount of bombing in the game is emphasizing this also and even when nothing is falling apart I awe the slightly steampunky art style -- and Dio Spirossi always makes me think of Porco Rosso ... and that's a plus ;-)

[ave]

I dislike most of the SH3-games' visual style because of the ugly render stuff and the gruesome blur effects in later games. The most visually pleasing game must be dodonpachi Daioujou with its very smooth renderoptic. The soundtrack matches perfectly and the stages are full of this certain underground machinery atmosphere... not really cyberpunk, but something very apocalyptic and dark.

Guwange is on par with DDP3 on my chart, although it has an entirely different atmosphere. Japanese mythology represented in a great-looking 2D game, what could I ask for more? A great soundtrack? Check. 

[dan76]

Deathsmiles (MBL), then Futari...

Though I'm no fan of the packaging artwork and all that guff - I love the in-game graphics. It's probably the horror/fantasy that helps and the fact that each stage (all 9 of them) are a completely different theme and colour palette. I just really like everything about it. For me it's as good as 2D can get - though I haven't seen Akai Katana up close yet...

[bitkid]

Special mention for DonPachi's voice samples...."Look at the size of that battleship!"

[neomoe]

For me it is Ibara, with Deathsmiles being a very very (very) close 2nd

Honerable mention goes to Progear (mostly because I am a big Metal Slug fan and the style reminds me alot of that)

[njiska]

Futari is great because the upbeat music and colourful art work create a colourful, almost child-like aesthetic. For the exact opposite reasons i find DOJ incredible in it's presentation. The lack of colours, the cold pallet, the bleak depressing music; DOJ does so much right when it comes to setting a tone.

[zlk]

Guwange.  Really creative enemies, soundtrack that adds to the amazing atmosphere.  There are so many cool things about this game.

[Kaneda]

Cave games always have strong aesthetics, but the answer is Guwange. One of the best art designs in not only STGs, but video games in general. If only it were fun.

For me, ESPrade also gets high marks. Yusuke's animation is cool, his midboss appearing on the baseball diamond is cool, JB's boss bursting out of the food court is cool, the final boss fight over the skyline of Tokyo (?) on the statue head is cool...an underrated game both in aesthetics and in gameplay. If not for the boss milking it would be superb.

[Dude]

DFK for me has set the bar as far as Colors sprites. It really hampered me when it came to other cave titles. It was my fist pcb from cave. After that all others where not as vibrant and it really hurt my collection. thank god for ports. I have re visited futari and enjoy it very much.

I really wish cave would make a title for 360 to utilize hd everything.

[Strider77]

DFK and Galuda 2.....   if we are being clinical.

Guwange if we are being artsy fartsy.



PGM stuff.....      they are impressive and ahead of the pack for back then. I am impressed with all of cave's shooters for the most part. But as with all things, new hardware has it's perks to. Deathsmiles is pretty good looking as well and I dig the Ghouls n Ghosts vibe.

[gsl]

Goo-wangs hands down, for most of the reasons people above have expressed.

[Thjodbjorn]

Hello! I've lurked here for a while, but haven't posted anything yet.

Personally, I find Futari and Daifukkatsu to be the most attractive Cave games. Daioujou is high up there, after I finally got to see it in 240p.

[skykid]

Futari with its ugly pre-renders? No thanks.

What he said.

Espgaluda II is the best looking Cave game in terms of overall graphical finish, without a doubt, but also having a soft spot for feudal Japan themed videogames I'd put Guwange up there as the most stylish.
Progear's Miyazaki influenced scenery and CPS2 colour palette deserves a mention too.

[evil_ash_xero]

Guwange and ESPGaluda II.

[TonK]

I'll be in the minority here.

DEATHSMILES.

For a side-scrolling shooter, it's gorgeous!

IMO - the best looking Cave title.

The environments, bosses, enemies, atmosphere... All give you a "haunting" vibe.

Definitely my favorite Cave title.

[brendz]

my top three
deathsmiles mbl - goth loli action, the ice palace is beautiful, the graveyard skull boss is the best boss everz
guwange  - feudal japan style, cool yokai-esque enemies/bosses
progear - whole steampunk atmosphere, the the boss name/cameos

[skykid]

I'll be in the minority here.

DEATHSMILES.

For a side-scrolling shooter, it's gorgeous!

IMO - the best looking Cave title.

Urgh. Futari's nasty pre-renders are only outmatched by those in Deathsmiles man. Odd choice. 

[TonK]

Like I said, IMO.

I think Guwange is ugly and boring.

I'll be in the minority here.

DEATHSMILES.

For a side-scrolling shooter, it's gorgeous!

IMO - the best looking Cave title.

Urgh. Futari's nasty pre-renders are only outmatched by those in Deathsmiles man. Odd choice. 

[Dude]

I'll 2nd guwange being ugly and boring. The quality art ends after the animated intro before the level.