Espgaluda 2 Black Label [JP X360] - SE Region free, LE Region locked to Japan

[EOJ]

I played a credit of 360 mode and I was pleasantly surprised! The hd graphic overhaul really looks lovely, better than even Futari. The gameplay felt quite accurate, though I didn't make it past stage 5. Right now I'm actually pleased with the port quality of Arcade/360 mode. It's not as bad as people led me to believe, it seems on par with the Futari port (~90% accurate), but sadly not the perfection that is Deathsmiles Arcade mode. I fear we'll never see such a 1:1 Cave port again.    Bottom line: Espgaluda II and Futari 1.5 are inaccurate in different ways - EII has a bit less slowdown, making it a little harder than the PCB, while Futari has a bit more slowdown, making it a little easier than the PCB.

[EOJ]

Just tried rank 18 in Arrange, and got 2+billion, currently ranked #19.   That was my second credit ever in Arrange, and I finished with 4 spare lives. WAY too easy, even at rank 18. In a way that's disappointing, but then again, it's much like Pink Sweets when you trigger infinite lives. Close to no real 1CC difficulty, instead the game is just a pure score attack.

BTW you have to max out the rank for each character in Arrange, you can select it in the game config. After downloading and watching the top replay with Tateha, I could select all the way up to 18, but I can still only select rank 1 with Ageha. Maybe each time you clear it you get one more rank level? Wonder if it goes higher than 18, or if that's the max.

[EOJ]

I gave omake! mode a shot, and it's a lot of fun. Simple, but fun. Once again way too easy, but the scoring system is really nice. I got a 525mil ALL my first time playing it. Too bad there are no online rankings for this mode!

I removed my previous comments about Black Label mode, as I've really warmed up to it and now I think it's quite awesome. 

[adverse]

I removed my previous comments about Black Label mode, as I've really warmed up to it and now I think it's quite awesome. 

Thought you'd be into it. 

[Monouchi]

I wonder what we will get with the DFK port, an Element Daughter AI pair of pants?! 

[HVL]

I played a credit of 360 mode and I was pleasantly surprised! The hd graphic overhaul really looks lovely, better than even Futari. The gameplay felt quite accurate, though I didn't make it past stage 5. Right now I'm actually pleased with the port quality of Arcade/360 mode. It's not as bad as people led me to believe, it seems on par with the Futari port (~90% accurate), but sadly not the perfection that is Deathsmiles Arcade mode. I fear we'll never see such a 1:1 Cave port again.    Bottom line: Espgaluda II and Futari 1.5 are inaccurate in different ways - EII has a bit less slowdown, making it a little harder than the PCB, while Futari has a bit more slowdown, making it a little easier than the PCB.

Awesome to hear. Thanks for posting the impressions and keep them coming.

[Moskovskaya]

I played a credit of 360 mode and I was pleasantly surprised! The hd graphic overhaul really looks lovely, better than even Futari. The gameplay felt quite accurate, though I didn't make it past stage 5. Right now I'm actually pleased with the port quality of Arcade/360 mode. It's not as bad as people led me to believe, it seems on par with the Futari port (~90% accurate), but sadly not the perfection that is Deathsmiles Arcade mode. I fear we'll never see such a 1:1 Cave port again.    Bottom line: Espgaluda II and Futari 1.5 are inaccurate in different ways - EII has a bit less slowdown, making it a little harder than the PCB, while Futari has a bit more slowdown, making it a little easier than the PCB.

Also, I complained about the different hi score name entry font in Arcade mode, but now I wonder if that wasn't on purpose and for a good reason: to differentiate between scores done on the PCB versus those done on the port. If so, that's actually a nice idea, because the PCB and port are not 1:1, and thus scores aren't really comparable.

Sounds better than the first impressions, thank you very much. What about the Tutorial Bug, it's still not working in 360 Mode, right? I used the Tutorial Bug everytime when playing the PCB.

[Elixir]

Galuda 2 arrange mode, Lv.32, live stream: http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv12172853

[HVL]

Galuda 2 arrange mode, Lv.32, live stream: http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv12172853

The boss fights were pretty damn boring, the guy didn't even move his character. I liked his imitation of Wehha's laugh and speech though.

I'm a bit confused about the bundled soundtrack because there has been tons of differing information. What exactly is bundled with the SE and LE [regarding the soundtrack thing of course.]

[EOJ]

A guy found a bug in the first stage 6 midboss, X360 mode. It just flies off and leaves the screen, while its lifebar remains:

http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm9867157
http://dic.nicovideo.jp/v/sm9867157

[Kiken]

I'm a bit confused about the bundled soundtrack because there has been tons of differing information. What exactly is bundled with the SE and LE [regarding the soundtrack thing of course.]

The soundtrack CD bundled with both the LE and SE is the same CD.  It includes the main 13 music tracks from the game (what was on disc 1 of the dual CD soundtrack release, minus the voice tracks) as well as two of the Arrange Mode tracks (stage 1 and boss).

[lam47]

I'm really looking forward to this coming in the post. If it gets squashed I will be very pissed.
All the different modes sound wonderful. You get such value for money with Cave games (perhaps not with DDPDOJ but fingers crossed for the patch this year)

[emphatic]

Anyone posting here hasn't gotten the game yet, am I right?  I hope I won't be posting here tomorrow night.

[GaijinPunch]

I removed my previous comments about Black Label mode, as I've really warmed up to it and now I think it's quite awesome. 

Haven't you done that w/ every release thus far?

I enjoy it, but I still think the deflection should offer more points than it does.

[EOJ]

I think Black Label is very good, and I quite like the new soundtrack (stage 3's music is awesome), but as of now I think Arrange mode is better.
I've played up to rank 20. Maybe it goes up to 99? Or perhaps it just maxes at 25, as the achievement where you have to beat Seseri at rank "5x5" seems to indicate. The high ranks feel much like Pink Sweets at max rank. It's so surreal to play Espgaluda II in a somewhat Pink Sweets fashion. I never thought such fantastic dreams could come true.

I also noticed that when at rank 19, I started getting 1ups every 100mil even when my life gauge was maxed at 5. So for example, I got two lives beyond the 5 max (as indicated by the 1UP chime), and then I had to die 3 times before a life was removed from my 5 gauge stock. At first I thought I triggered infinite lives!   Perhaps this was YGW's homage to that aspect of Pink Sweets.

[HVL]

I think Black Label is very good, and I quite like the new soundtrack (stage 3's music is awesome), but as of now I think Arrange mode is better.
I've played up to rank 20. Maybe it goes up to 99? Or perhaps it just maxes at 25, as the achievement where you have to beat Seseri at rank "5x5" seems to indicate. The high ranks feel much like Pink Sweets at max rank. It's so surreal to play Espgaluda II in a somewhat Pink Sweets fashion. I never thought such fantastic dreams could come true.

I also noticed that when at rank 19, I started getting 1ups every 100mil even when my life gauge was maxed at 5. So for example, I got two lives beyond the 5 max (as indicated by the 1UP chime), and then I had to die 3 times before a life was removed from my 5 gauge stock. At first I thought I triggered infinite lives!   Perhaps this was YGW's homage to that aspect of Pink Sweets.

The live stream stuff Elixir posted had rank lv32, so it does go higher than 25. It was pretty crazy.

The soundtrack CD bundled with both the LE and SE is the same CD.  It includes the main 13 music tracks from the game (what was on disc 1 of the dual CD soundtrack release, minus the voice tracks) as well as two of the Arrange Mode tracks (stage 1 and boss).

Okay, thanks for the clarification.

[EOJ]

Thanks for the info, HVL. I'm up to rank 24 now. It seems the lives stop coming @every 100mil when you pass a certain score. I just got a score of 3.3bil and the lives stopped in Stage 6 when I was at 2+bil. It was actually pretty tough finishing off the last boss without the extra extends, I squeezed by with no lives or barrier left! After milking it a good deal, of course.  

[Monouchi]

Anyone posting here hasn't gotten the game yet, am I right?  I hope I won't be posting here tomorrow night.

Same here. 
Im really fired up to play this since I have never played the PCB and that Esp1 was my first Cave game.

[lam47]

I don't have my LE yet but am able to play today
I'm going to need to know what the hells going on. Found the strategy thread on Shmups so will have a go at working things out.
It looks lovely

[emphatic]

Just got it today, but I'm tied up playing another game for a Swedish competition.   It does look excellent in my EGRET II though.

[KOMA]

Go it today too.Play arrange/BL and Omake mode.Don't understand the scoring syetem...yet!
I love the arrange BO,the original soundtrak was a pain in the ass for my ears.

[fuse]

Really enjoying Arrange mode. How do you unlock/play higher ranks?

[lam47]

I just played Omake. Its very easy but still a lot of fun. I like the cancelling of red bullets that are close to you but I don't understand the multipliers.
Has anyone got a picture of the button layout sheet from the PCB?

[EOJ]

Looks like you need to play 'Double play' in Arrange to unlock that 75pt achievement where it says "beat true Seseri at rank level 5*5 or higher". 5*5 means rank 5 on both the 1P and 2P side.

[cstarflare]

Looks like you need to play 'Double play' in Arrange to unlock that 75pt achievement where it says "beat true Seseri at rank level 5*5 or higher". 5*5 means rank 5 on both the 1P and 2P side.

bullshit

where am I going to find someone to help with that

[EOJ]

Raiden IV had double play achievements too. You can do it by yourself, if you have two joysticks next to each other (and you're ambidextrous).

[ckong]

Just got it today, but I'm tied up playing another game for a Swedish competition.   It does look excellent in my EGRET II though.

Are you using the UVC, or the Viletim adapter?

[emphatic]

Are you using the UVC, or the Viletim adapter?

UVC @ 24kHz. It really does look better than Futari. Eye candy.

[cstarflare]

Raiden IV had double play achievements too. You can do it by yourself, if you have two joysticks next to each other (and you're ambidextrous).

Raiden IV's website has its own ranking for double play scores, so it was kind of expected.

[purpbullets]

Looks like you need to play 'Double play' in Arrange to unlock that 75pt achievement where it says "beat true Seseri at rank level 5*5 or higher". 5*5 means rank 5 on both the 1P and 2P side.

Get it EOJ!

I dont have a joystick at all.

I would need a co-pilot myself.

That gives me a chance to get all my friends on cave.

Instead of them playing modern warfare 2. a pity shame...

I live in a small town in Kentucky, nobody here knows...Yet?