[AC] [360] Death Smiles II ~Makai no Merry Christmas~

[Recap]

Revealed through the latest investor's report. Will be Cave's AOU 2009 shooting game.



http://insomnia.ac/archive/games/unknow ... 090119.pdf

Via http://gamenyarth.blog67.fc2.com/

[icycalm]

Certainly didn't see that coming. I do like the idea of another new horizontal shooter. Some variety in the arcades is much needed these days. Quite a change for Cave though, huh? Going from "horis really don't work for our style of game" to having three of them in their catalog.

[icycalm]

It just occurred to me that if Cave really is moving to new hardware, and if DS2 is indeed in high res, that would explain why we didn't get a second shooter in 2008. DS2 would certainly be the perfect game for them to go high res too.

[Recap]

It just occurred to me that if Cave really is moving to new hardware, and if DS2 is indeed in high res

You talk as if that would have been hinted somewhere. Seriously, I don't see any strong enough reason for Cave to move to new hardware, especially for a Death Smiles sequel (DS wasn't exactly their most CPU demanding game). I think Cave is well aware that its graphic style just doesn't work in hi-res. The 360 port of DS lets us know that they could have easily taken that path when they designed their SH-3-based hardware (is there indeed actual evidence of that not supporting hi-res?) And finally, their latest investor's PDF didn't exactly show the shooting segment as the area they're focusing on their attention these days.

Just my speculation, but hey, beat that!

[icycalm]

You talk as if that would have been hinted somewhere.

Nah, I talk like this with every new Cave game since Espgaluda II. I keep hoping, and to an extent expecting, their next game to be high res.

Seriously, I don't see any strong enough reason for Cave to move to new hardware, especially for a Death Smiles sequel (DS wasn't exactly their most CPU demanding game).

I think I read in an interview on GP's site that DS is more hardware intensive than Futari. But regardless, it's pretty obvious to me that something has to be done about all the (clearly unintentional) stuttering in some/many of their newer games. Futari is nearly unplayable to me for this reason. DFK is reportedly quite bad too. It is clear that, even if he sticks with low res, Ikeda's efforts would benefit from a hardware boost. It doesn't really matter at which game they choose to make the upgrade -- sooner or later they'll have to do it.

As for why I think DS2 would be perfect as a high res game: to me, the original represents the best work they've done in terms of graphics, overall (meaning art + technical achievement), perhaps with the exception of the second Galuda. Sprite work is rough in places, but that can be said of all their recent efforts. Also, it seems to be their most popular game with the "casual" crowd (even Brandon was drooling over it), and they are the ones most interested in graphics. It would make sense to give them even more eye candy in a sequel, and in a format (horizontal) which is better suited for porting.

I think Cave is well aware that its graphic style just doesn't work in hi-res.

I don't see why it wouldn't. I think if done well it'd be completely stunning.

The 360 port of DS lets us know that they could have easily taken that path when they designed their SH-3-based hardware (is there indeed actual evidence of that not supporting hi-res?)

lol

Dude, there are times during Futari when you think the game has crashed. You sit there for like an entire second and nothing happens. It's the worse stuttering I've ever seen in an arcade game. Whether the SH-3 board can output in high res is irrelevant. It could never RUN those games at high res.

[Recap]

I think Cave is well aware that its graphic style just doesn't work in hi-res.

I don't see why it wouldn't. I think if done well it'd be completely stunning.

Oh, c'mon...

I think I read in an interview on GP's site that DS is more hardware intensive than Futari.

If that's true, then I eat my words; Mega Black Label seems to be several times more CPU-demanding than DS.

[icycalm]

Oh, c'mon...

I am not sure what you mean by this, or by the image you linked. If you are somehow suggesting that the SH-3 board could run any modern Cave game at high res you are mad.

[Recap]

Alright; I edited my previous post.

[icycalm]

Oh, ok, now I understand.

I still don't agree though. The example you gave is anyway inadequate. DS is a low res game: it was planned as a low res game from the beginning. Judging Cave's potential for high res games by the high res version of Death Smiles is unfair.

And even then, I am not going to draw any conclusions about high res DS before I actually see it in motion. But like I said, even if it doesn't look very good, that would still not say much for the company's future potential with high res games.

[Recap]

I'm afraid you won't even get to see it in hi-res, but in an uglier hi-res-to-HD upscaled mode.

And what can I say. I'm not exactly a fan of pre-rendered graphics. Everything I've seen in high res looked bland or soul-less, when not awful. I strongly believe that you do need scanlines and hand-made per-pixel reworking in order to get Pulstar or Cave games' usual beauty.

[Recap]

Cave's confirmation on Death Smiles II being shown at AOU 2009. It'll be playable, Inoue will act as the art director and Basiscape for the BGM once again.

Via Game Nyarth.

[Recap]

Preliminary site open. A lovely picture and the full name: "Death Smiles II ~Makai no Merry Christmas~":

http://www.cave.co.jp/gameonline/deathsmiles2/

First time ever a Christmas-themed video-game isn't delberatedly released on Christmas time?

[icycalm]

Pretty annoying interview with the main developer of the game up at the AOU blog here:

http://cave-gameshow.cocolog-nifty.com/ ... -7c03.html

The only real info he drops between telling the interview that you'll have to play the game to see what's new is that

1) Elements of the DS1 system are continued in the sequel

2) The game is indeed on new hardware, and this allows it to be a bit different 'CAVE shooting'. No further details.

...

http://www.cave-stg.com/forum/index.php ... 31#msg8231

[Recap]

Sounds as if they just said 'hello' to real-time 3D...

[Recap]

http://cave-gameshow.cocolog-nifty.com/ ... -786b.html

Vewlix cabs for DSII exhibition at the AOU. That almost implies Type X 2. Hoping it doesn't lead to "real-time 3D" though.

[Tain]

It's real-time 3D.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XzApy01byU&fmt=35

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_q18-jpEm0&fmt=18

Disappointing.

[jiji]

More disappointing: the marketing.

http://zepy.momotato.com/2009/02/20/cav ... iles-girl/

[icycalm]

The end of an era.

[JoshF]

For all intents and purposes Cave was 3D since Dangun Feveron. The "rendering" just let them do it on cheaper hardware.

[icycalm]

Dude, that's nonsense talk. I understand you might not be a fan of their sometimes cheap 2D work, but to say that the graphics of this game are equivalent to those of the first one you have to be half blind.

[Japhei]

Solid 2D art seems to be making its way out of arcade gaming.

Maybe King Of Fighters XII can reignite the use of sprites. SFIV just did not flow like SFIII did. I am sure Cave is making this on some PC hardware thinking about the easy port afterwards.

[recoil]

http://www.cave.co.jp/gameonline/Xbox360/deathsmiles2x/

A 360 port has been dated for May 27.

[icycalm]

Jesus Christ, they are not kidding with these ports. Next thing you know they'll be porting the cellphone games.

[icycalm]

http://postback.geedorah.com/foros/view ... 8936#p8936

Lo sabemos desde el verano [ > ] pero ha sido formalmente anunciada y presentada la conversión / 'remake' para 3-60 en el Xbox Shooting Festa 2010. Apartado gráfico rehecho y adaptado a los 16 : 9. Nuevos 'bosses', 6 personajes iniciales (dos nuevos procedentes de DS), 27 de Mayo en dos ediciones disitintas (un álbum musical para la edición limitada, una tarjeta de descarga de bandas sonoras alternativas compuesta por un buen puñado de músicos externos para los prepedidos). Su nombre: "Death Smiles II X ~Makai no Merry Christmas~":



http://news.dengeki.com/elem/000/000/241/241822/

http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/1232480_1124.html

http://www.cave.co.jp/gameonline/Xbox360/deathsmiles2x/


El 'promo video', para quien no lo quiera descargar del sitio oficial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0_iQxBWStE

[icycalm]

Review of the port:

http://www.cave-stg.com/?p=227



Interesting stuff. And the game looks much better in his screenshots than anywhere else I've seen it, probably because the screens are real screens he shot himself off his monitor. Too bad he's still using a lame blog layout for his reviews.