Akai Katana Shin [JP X360 - 5/26/2011]

[SomeMist]

I believe the arcade mode is 4:3 with the other 2 modes being 16:9. tho, I'm not sure even a 4:3 mode will fit the entire screen since the 16:9 mode doesn't even completely fill a widescreen display.

thanks lam47 for shedding some light on the mechanics. Now no miss no bomb clears of the demo are pretty simple lol. I feel somewhat ready to bring on the 1CC to akai katana - tho I know stage 3 and 4 will wreck me (knowing cave) without having seen either stage yet. So far I've been having fun with the 2nd character (the first female with the green bullets/ship).

[lam47]

Just noticed something else. The hit counter. This goes up as you destroy enemies and cancel bullets. However if you hold down shot it breaks the chain. I think they want you to switch between auto and holding shot to collect the blue orbs and energy orbs in equal measure. I would also guess that some enemies will give more of one than the other depending on if they are killed with auto shot or held down shot (do you still call it laser even if it doesn't look like one)
It seems quite easy yeah. I like the girl best too. I seem to score the most with her.

[HVL]

Wow, thanks for the new account creation tip. Downloading the demo now.

[Special World]

I like the girl best too. I seem to score the most with her.

Whoa, calm down there, Romeo.

[Cell]

 

[EOJ]

I gave the demo a few whirls, and it seems pretty fun. Still trying to get a grips with the scoring, but I like the fundamentals. I'm more interested in trying the Arcade mode, but that will have to wait until the release.

[pure decimation]

Use auto shot to build up the little dots that appear around your ship, the more you have the more blue orbs appear in the next step. Then shot, held down to build the energy meter. (EDIT, if you hold shot for too long the hit counter re sets. Alternate collecting blue crap and energy balls)
Once full you want to turn into a giant person. The 4 dots are now blue things at the top and bottom of your character. when you hold shot it will shoot them off at the enemy. You want it to hit as many as you can. This makes katanas form behind you. Whilst these are here enemies fire suicide bullets. Fill the screen with them and then turn back into a normal size plane. This shoots the katanas off and makes gold appear yay!

I'm sure there are nuances I'm missing but these seem to be the basics. X

I just edited this to make a bit more sense. I think it will take time (and longer stages) to work out when is best to use the Katanas. I think it could be a lot of fun though. A death will not cost you half your score which is great for people who suck, like me.

Thanks a lot lam. I was beginning to figure it out myself but you definitely got more than me. I really like the graphics in the game.

[Cell]

I find it extremely fun. Im playing it on my New Net City but I imagine it will look great on a Vewlix!

[bitkid]

I put sooo much time into the demo this morning. What kind of scores are you guys getting by the end of stage 1 and 2? I think I was hitting something like 13.5mil by the time I reached the boss of stage 1 but I can't quite remember as it was earlier in the morning that I was playing it and I was kind of tired.

My overall strategy so far has been to rush around and kill lots of small enemies with shot to build the Shin meter, and then try to take out some of the larger enemies with laser to build the Energy meter. Does it seem to anyone else that point-blanking slightly effects the size of Energy orbs you receive? Maybe there's something else going on that effects the orb sizes, perhaps placing the option on the enemy?

Overall I am finding Shin mode to be pretty fun even though I can only play 2 stages. I can't wait for the full version!

[HVL]

I put sooo much time into the demo this morning. What kind of scores are you guys getting by the end of stage 1 and 2? I think I was hitting something like 13.5mil by the time I reached the boss of stage 1 but I can't quite remember as it was earlier in the morning that I was playing it and I was kind of tired.

My best full run was around 56 mil. Going to play some more tonight and will probably easily surpass that. The stage end bonuses are crazy.

Really digging the demo, arranged music is badass. Awesome gay guitar riffs.

[lam47]

I'm feeling good about hitting 70mil! When collecting energy and blue stuff it looks to me that by hitting the enemy with just option pulls a few extra items out. Also I'm sure now that you get more of certain items depending on the enemy. The turrets right at the start of level one give large energy orbs.
The trains at the start of level 2 give a lot more blue orbs than they do energy.

There seems to be something happening to bullets when in close proximity to your person form, they glow pink. I can't tell if its just cosmetic or not.

[SuperPang]

OK, I get it now. Unleashing the katanas just in time for ubergold is fun. It's an interesting arrange mode but it's no arcade  There's going to be something for everyone on the disc by the looks of it.

[Dronevil]

When collecting energy and blue stuff it looks to me that by hitting the enemy with just option pulls a few extra items out. Also I'm sure now that you get more of certain items depending on the enemy. The turrets right at the start of level one give large energy orbs.
The trains at the start of level 2 give a lot more blue orbs than they do energy.

Yeah, i agree with that.
I also have the impression that if you have your energy meter full, you get more blue orbs when you kill enemies with normal shot. So when i start stage 1 I try to max the energy meter as soon as possible and then go for the blue orbs.
It's quite tricky to choose the right moment to unleash the katanas to get the most gold..
So far my best is 94 million.. and i know i'm not doing it right   

I wonder what role does the hit counter play..

[evil_ash_xero]

I think I have the mechanics down. Seems you can only create a lot of gold two or three times a stage.
Also, how short are these stages! They must be the shortest of any cave game.
Better be more than 5 or I will demand my nickel back.

The first 2 stages are the shortest ones in the game, especially the first. It's like you get warmed up and then it's over. The last 3 are more satisfying.

And I do believe the Shin version has 6 stages.

[EOJ]

There's a red combo gauge on the left side of the screen:



http://sinmoon.blog.shinobi.jp/Entry/227/

[SuperPang]

  So there is.
You could've slipped us one of those lovely tutorials, Cave.

[mdsfx]

So there is.
You could've slipped us one of those lovely tutorials, Cave.

I may be stating something obvious that everyone knows, but just in case..

if you let the game sit at the title screen for a minute or two without pressing anything, a tutorial starts

[SuperPang]

 

[mdsfx]

OK. Well, that's why I started my post with a preface...

[evil_ash_xero]

Could someone point out some of the differences between Shin mode and the PCB version? I have seen PCB vids, and you seem to be having gold swarming around you all the time, when in human form, and bullets deflect off of you. I didn't like the way it looked.

Is this version harder than that one(survival wise)?

[moozooh]

You mean Zetsu, not Shin. Shin is the one where you shoot aimed katana for massive bullet canceling-into-gold ownage.

Zetsu is similar to the PCB, except in widescreen and with unlocked hit counter. I am not sure, but I think they should be roughly comparable difficulty-wise. The arcade mode scoring goes like this (and Zetsu is probably the same):

1. Use your option on enemies (A-shot, preferably at point-blank) to harvest green energy items, dip them into bullets to increase their size, then absorb by using C-shot.
2. Enter defensive (blue) ninja form, gather many bullets around yourself (let them touch your hitbox to make them circle around).
3. Cancel them by short offensive (red; triggered by the A-shot) mode bursts on enemies: their explosions will cancel bullets into gold ingots that will circle around you until you leave the ninja form.
4. Dip the gold ingots into enemy bullets (use defensive mode to avoid damage) to increase their size (there are three orbits determining ingot value, the highest is 10x), then absorb by switching back to the ship form.
Repeat.

It's a bit cumbersome at first glance, but it should click the same way it does in Espgaluda, which has even more nuances to think of, actually.

[SuperPang]

OK. Well, that's why I started my post with a preface...

I actually didn't notice the tutorial, hence the  so thanks for that, it's more than a little useful.

I rather like Shin mode now. Seems slightly odd that they'd choose to add yet another orb element but I bet the lack of bullet reflecting and presumably reduced slowdown make the last few levels mad fun. Honestly though, LV is still my favourite and I'm not just saying that because it cost me 30x more.

[TheSoundofRed]

I've managed to hit 200mil with the left most ship type by the end of Stage 2. I can't seem to milk the end Stage bosses properly, and could definitely add to my Stage 1 score. I think I had about 68mil going into Stage 2. Overall I really really really love Shin mode. I haven't had a chance to play the original PCB, but this mode is so much fun. I'll probably take the plunge and pick up a NTSC-J 360 for this release.

[Van_Artic]

i did 100 mil after getting the basics; this is extremely fun and fast paced, i like it
how am i supposed to get many points at the end of each phase of a boss? i can only get like 1 mil each time from them, i suppose you can get much more

[evil_ash_xero]

My only real concern at this point is the difficulty. I know that the vanilla version is very easy. Is it easier than DeathSmiles?

Also, do you think the changes made to the Shin version will make this more difficult than vanilla?

[SuperPang]

The lack of bullet tennis should make the last few levels harder than arcade. Arcade is about on a par with a mixed rank DS run.

[Van_Artic]

Also, do you think the changes made to the Shin version will make this more difficult than vanilla?

i still don't have access to the arcade version, but just the fact that in ninja mode you don't deflect bullets anymore (they just slow down) makes it way harder than the original version

i played again and reached 180 mil with Kikyou and Botan, i'm loving it

[sh00g]

First time CAVE has a ballin' menu system.

Demo feels good. Can't wait to get a taste of the later levels.

[evil_ash_xero]

The lack of bullet tennis should make the last few levels harder than arcade. Arcade is about on a par with a mixed rank DS run.

Thanks for the insight. Looking forward to this, more than I thought I would.

[ratsflif]

I'm starting to get a grips on the scoring in the demo.  What is the general strategy for the bosses?  Try to destroy them with the kantanas when the screen is full of bullets?