New PCB: Batsugun - Normal & Special Ver. - Toaplan

At long last, I have a Batsugun pcb to call my very own!

I fell in love with this game after playing the hell out of it on the Saturn and just had to get the pcb after playing it at Dave_K's place.

I have played only a credit on it before my run this evening and I think I am going to switch back to Normal Version and try for the 1cc in that. I've made it to the last boss a few times, but never have beaten him. I know him well enough now that I don't think that will be much of a problem.

Now with Ketsui and Battle Garegga, I have my three favorite STG's. I'm very happy.

Batsugun Special Version high score #9

Played a credit on this this evening and killed my old high score, making it to stage 8 and couldn't really milk the second round of tanks too well. Got to practice the second loop some more.

Added over 5 mill to my score, so a pretty good one credit run.

Batsugun Special Version high score #8

Fed up with Normal, went back to Special Version for a night. Maxed out the first loop stage 4 bomb bonus, I think. Got 7 bombs in, suicided once, hit it with one more bomb and then took Jupiter out.

Was on the last section of stage 5 with two lives and ran into something, then died shortly there after while I was still pissed at the earlier death and ended my run with a new high of 18,204,110.

I may be picking this pcb up in the future. I just enjoy the hell out of this game!

Batsugun Normal Version high score #1

I started playing Normal version a little while ago, kind of after I cleared the first loop in Special Version. At the moment, I think I like Normal better.

There are a few differences between the two but what you notice first is that your hitbox is much larger and some attacks you could tap dodge pretty easily will now get you, so there are a lot of strategy changes for killing enemies.

The game is just so well realized that I can't help but love both versions equally!

I've been working for the clear of Normal for a week or two and finally made it to the last boss, dying on this run about halfway through his cycle, to end with a high score of 2,810,220.

Stage 4 was giving me the most trouble, but I think I've got a good pattern for it now. Stage 5 isn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be and since enemy placements are the same, I've been able to use a lot of the same patterns that I use in Special Version.

Massively fun game, easy 5 out of 5 in my book.

Batsugun Special Version high score #7

Just kinda messing around before the meet really started last weekend and hit a new high score after showing the stage 4 trick to some of the early peoples. Made the loop as well. I wasn't really paying attention to my score and just killed my game off, dying twice easily. It was only when Dave asked me if that was a new high score that I realized it was.

Batsugun is certainly one of my favortie games and I love playing it, even after making the loop, which is a first for me. My new high score sets me up at 12,757,420 and now I'm working on the second loop. I've kinda of gotten used to the suicide bullets and think I can push through, especially if I bomb strategically.

Batsugun Special Version high score 6'

Made the loop!

I made it all the way to stage 8 (three stages into the loop) and died twice on the midboss (which I never do in the first loop) as I was pretty nervous having already made it that far. It certainly feels good to finally hit the loop on Batsugun and I can already feel the drive to clear the whole game, but after the second loop, things definately get pretty hairy, so that may take some time.

Batsugun Special Version high score #6

Finally got the stage 4 trick down and boosted my score to a new high of 11,780,410. I also made it to the last form of the stage 5 boss and was hoping for the loop, but I threw away two lives accidently trying to max out the points on the stage 4 boss and had no lives and no bombs going into the last boss battle.

The loop is next!

Batsugun Special Version high score #5

Damn, this was a great run, made it up to the last boss on stage 5, used the first two safe spots I found and then promptly died right after for a new high score of 7,136,020.

Going to be working on the first loop clear in the next few days, so hopefully I'll hit it soon.

Of course, by saying that, I've totally jinxed myself, so if you don't see a 1CC post, you'll know why...

Batsugun Special Version high score #4

Started playing this again, working for the clear and I feel soooooooo close!

Made it a good way into stage 5, dying stupidly right before the end boss, the 'Ground of the Galaxy,' whatever that means. I ended my run with a new high score at 5,927,700.

I have been credit feeding to get patterns down for the last boss and think I can nail him with maybe only 1 death. He's got some tough stuff, but I think there are a few safe spots to exploit early on.

Amanda, my roommates friend came by last night as I was working on that last boss and she checked it out for a second, paused and asked, while watching me seemlessly and effortlessly dodge his patterns - though I have no idea how I was really doing it - "are you really that good?" I smiled, and as I was about to talk about how it was actually a lot easier when you knew the patterns - I died.

Batsugun Special Version high score #3

Put some time into this at the Missouri Cave Matsuri and reached a new high score of 4,254,110, dying midway through stage 5 after suiciding at the turrents which, when bombed give you ~59,630 points, thinking I had another life, which I didn't. Bummer.

Super-stoked on this game. So good, so old skool and the best of Toaplan's efforts.

Batsugun Special Version high score #1 and #2

I played for about an hour this morning and decided to post my first Batsugun Special Version high score of 1,306,100. I got through most of stage 4, but ate it right before the four planes that fly up from behind you because I was waiting for those planes and neglected to worry about what was actually firing on me at that moment.



Not a bad first score, though I know about the stage 5 trick of bombing all of the little gunner pods on the rails towards the end, which net some crazy amout of points each, so if I can 1CC it, the score wil be a lot higher.



Played a bunch of credits all afternoon and got a new high of 1,742,900, dying on the stage 4 boss. I'll be pushing for the 1CC this week and hopefully get there. I've credit fed to the second loop and its a helluva lot of fun.

Batsugun, Dodonpachi, Cotton 2, Darius Gaiden, Saturn Bomberman and Baku Baku Animal - Sega Saturn

A little while ago, I decided to take the plunge and delve into vintage gaming. The oldest system I still had was a Nintendo 64 and I quickly augmented my vintage console collection with a Sega Sautrn and a bunch of other stuff which I have already covered in an earlier post. Suffice it to say, I bought a lot of stuff and have been gaming on the NES and SNES for a little while now waiting for a score of Saturn games.

I missed out on the Saturn era of consoles, mainly because I was in college, but mostly because I kind of fell out of touch with gaming and systems were getting more expensive right around the time I had a lot less cash to burn through.

Knowing that the Saturn had all these great shooters made for it, I had to start collecting there and delve into all of the great titles I had missed out on so many years earlier. I found about half of what I was looking for from bleem on the shmups forums. From him, I picked up all of the titles in the header minus Darius Gaiden which I got over at People Play Games, and I have been playing them non-stop for the last 24 hours. OK, well, I slept some and ate breakfast, but that's about it.



Batsugun is tremendous. Toaplan did it right with their last STG and you can easily see the beginnings of the trademark early Cave-style prevalent in ESP Ra.De and Dodonpachi.

Dodonpachi is fantastic as well, very close to the arcade pcb from what I can tell, having played it a bit in mame when I started to get into STG's. The music is very good and I haven't got as much time into this as I want to, but Batsugun is commanding most of my time.

The Saturn pad is just so excellent for tapping through patterns that I can't believe they didn't make joypads for all of the current gen systems.

I'm stoked to get some time in on Cotton 2 and I have already played through the first world in Saturn Bomberman. Being a huge Bomberman fan,. I have always wanted to play this version and it doesn't dissapoint. The opening is excellent anime style action which kind of sets up the game. The game play is exactly the same as other titles and the music, as always, is catchy and you find yourself humming along during the levels seemingly without notice.

I also picked up Darius Gaiden and have played enough to know that it beats the hell out of Darius Twin for the SNES, a game I 1cc'd just trying it out in an emulator. The graphics are pure 2D sprite goodness and the music is phenomenal with kind of an acid jazz, lounge feel that really stands out from other guitar driven soundtracks like Dodonpachi.

I'm working on a high score at Batsugun at the moment and hopefully I can turn a 1 mil score before the weekend is up. It shouldn't be too hard, especially since I have some awesome Hello Boss Japanese canned coffee and a lot of time.