Radiant Silvergun

[retroborg]

It has been said by many, about the famous Radiant Silvergun, that it’s supposed to be the best Shoot Em Up in the world and of all time. I finally got to play a burned ISO, on my recently moded SEGA Saturn.

The game is surely the prequel of Ikaruga as the level design, enemies and that yellow diamond, look very similar.

I love shooters with many mid & end level bosses but this game seems to be completely overwhelmed by them. You spend more time fighting the bosses than traveling through the levels.

Another interesting factor is that the levels seem to be continuous, which kind of explains the existence of so many bosses & huge enemy battle ships.

What disappointed me is the great difficulty level that makes it almost impossible to complete on Saturn mode. The weapons do not impress, neither visually or effectively.

The coolest weapon is the Radiant sword, only when it’s powered up though.

Generally it’s a very cool shooter, that disserves to be placed in the hall of classics, but it’s not the best in the world and is definitely not worth paying 150$ for the original CD!

I would still love to see this game visually enhanced using an emulator. PSX games look so much better on ePSXe Emu than on the real Playstation. Imagine R.Silvergun with more polygons and hi-res textures. If that’s not cool then what is?

I don’t understand all the hype about this game? You’ll find many other cool shooters that are as good if not better.

On the PSX:

RayStorm

Thunder Force V

In the Hunt

Raiden Project

RayCrisis

SNES:

Axelay

Gradius III

Area 88

Genesis:

Thunder Force III

Wings of Wor / Gynoug

Gaiares

AMIGA:

Swiv

Apidya

Agony

Project X

R-Type 2

Saturn:

Rayforce / Gunlock

Darius Gaiden

Arcades:

R-Type LEO

SDF Macross

1945 Strikers I, II, Plus

AeroFighters 1, 2, 3

Carrier Air Wing

DoDonpachi

Gunbird 1, 2

Truxton II

Twin Cobra II

PC-Engine:

Lords of Thunder

Gates of Thunder

Dreamcast:

Ikaruga - Of Course! 😉

And many more that I can’t remember at the moment. 😉

 

[slinga]

I just got done playing this game today, got up to Xiga (last boss) on about 5 credits (9 lives each and I saved my guns every time I played 😀). I'm not a huge fan of shoot-em-ups, but this game is amazing. I hate to sound like a Treasure fan boy (no I don't), but I do think that Radiant Silvergun is one of the best shooters ever. I think what sets this game apart from the rest is it's generous collision detection system, precise controls, and the millions of bullets that come at you. When you die in this game it's not usually because the boss was super cheap, but because you decided to dodge in the wrong direction.

 

[Scared0o0Rabbit]

having played atleast a few of the games on that list, I can say RSG is better than raystorm, the aerofighter games, and 900Million times better than in the hunt. I'd also say it's better than R-Type too.

 

[it290]

All I can say is, you really think Project X or In the Hunt compare to RS? You, my friend, are clinically insane. 😉

Oh yeah.. and Truxton II blows. Okay, it's kind of a fun game for a while, but man is it ever ridiculously cheap. There are parts in that game where there is NO WAY to survive if your weapon isn't powered up.

 

[retroborg]

Compare graphics?

No.

RS is better.

But I had more enjoyment playing "In the Hunt"

There was the same hype back in 1992 when Project X was going to be released, but it disappointed with its high, cheap ass difficulty.

Still, graphically it was a very original game at the time, which clearly stood out from the rest.

The Final Boss in RS looks very cheap compared to the huge & very well animated bosses, you encounter in the rest of the game.

Project X 2 on the PSX had better graphics than RS.

 

[Scared0o0Rabbit]

you may have had more enjoyment, but having played both, on numerous occasions, I can truly say RSG is better. There's more strategy to it, with all the different weapons and having to know when to use each one. In the hunt is nothing more than a mediocre side scrolling shooter.

 

[racketboy]

more enjoyment can also be derived from it being easier

 

[retroborg]

Originally posted by Scared0o0Rabbit@Dec 5, 2003 @ 05:54 PM

you may have had more enjoyment, but having played both, on numerous occasions, I can truly say RSG is better. There's more strategy to it, with all the different weapons and having to know when to use each one. In the hunt is nothing more than a mediocre side scrolling shooter.

Many have compared the 2D quality animation of In the Hunt, as being equal to the Metal Slug series. So it's definitely not a mediocre game.

Also the Fun factor, simpler gameplay and more relaxing music make it over all, more enjoyable than RSG in my opinion.

Also, in my opinion, RayStorm, RayCrisis, & RayForce are better than RSG.

Similar games, especially Raystorm.

 

[Scared0o0Rabbit]

Many have compared the 2D quality animation of In the Hunt, as being equal to the Metal Slug series. So it's definitely not a mediocre game.

Okay, so then if I make a game where you're a giant piece of shit, and that's all you are, and there's nothing to do, but the graphics are the most amazing graphics in the world, it's gotta be a great game.

*sigh* yet another person who's confused about what makes a game good.

 

[retroborg]

Metal Slug Series have the best 2D graphics/animation by far. So any game that matches it graphically can be considered great in the graphics field, at least.

But great graphics don't make a good game. That's why I also mentioned some other quality factors like: Music, Gameplay & Fun factor, amongst other.

But that's only my opinion.

So I guess you're more confused than I am.

 

[muffinman943]

im confused, i played raystorm in the arcade, and i remember it being the same as silvergun, neway, astal ownz in 2d graffix

 

[racketboy]

actually if you wanna go into non-shooters Guilty Gear X ownz in 2D

 

[IBarracudaI]

There are basically two kinds of shooters... We have the difficult ones and the easier...

While the easier seem to be more enjoyable as we can sit down and just play it to the end... The harder ones.. are more like a personal challenge.. "we" keep playing trying to get better scores..

I really love RSG because it really makes me want to play more and more... whenever I "die" I *always* blame myself... most of the times I even restart the whole game just because of diying early in the game lol 🙂

 

[Tagrineth]

Originally posted by racketboy+Dec 5, 2003 @ 08:30 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(racketboy @ Dec 5, 2003 @ 08:30 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'> actually if you wanna go into non-shooters Guilty Gear X ownz in 2D [/b]

Guilty Gear X2 manages to look even better ^^

<!--QuoteBegin-retroborg

What disappointed me is the great difficulty level that makes it almost impossible to complete on Saturn mode. The weapons do not impress, neither visually or effectively.[/quote]

That's why the save system exists, cutie. ^^; When you die, you save, and when you load the save you start from the beginning again but keeping your score, built up lives, and cumulative weapon levels.

 

[Jeffrey]

I thought the running guy (final boss) in RS was kind of poetic and very cool...

or at least original.

 

[racketboy]

Originally posted by Tagrineth+Dec 6, 2003 @ 02:36 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tagrineth @ Dec 6, 2003 @ 02:36 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'> <!--QuoteBegin-racketboy@Dec 5, 2003 @ 08:30 PM

actually if you wanna go into non-shooters Guilty Gear X ownz in 2D

Guilty Gear X2 manages to look even better ^^

[/b][/quote]

unfortunately I have not witnessed X2 yet 🙁

 

[CrazyGoon]

Originally posted by racketboy@Dec 5, 2003 @ 05:56 PM

more enjoyment can also be derived from it being easier

?

The easier the game, the more fun it is? I definately say the opposite. Harder = funner.

Gathering from retroborgs post, he doesn't like hard games, and falls for eye candy.

And at this point I'll say "Cheating is bad. Don't do it!"

 

[antime]

Personally I agree with him. I enjoy games like R-Type Delta, Ray Crisis, Ikaruga, Bangai-O and most Cave/Raizing/8ing shooters far more than Radiant Silvergun.

 

[retroborg]

Originally posted by CrazyGoon+Dec 5, 2003 @ 11:48 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(CrazyGoon @ Dec 5, 2003 @ 11:48 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'> <!--QuoteBegin-racketboy@Dec 5, 2003 @ 05:56 PM

more enjoyment can also be derived from it being easier

?

The easier the game, the more fun it is? I definately say the opposite. Harder = funner.

Gathering from retroborgs post, he doesn't like hard games, and falls for eye candy.

And at this point I'll say "Cheating is bad. Don't do it!" [/b][/quote]

I never said that "The easier the game, the more fun it is"

And I don't dislike hard games.

I've beating many hard shooters like 1945 Strikers II with one credit with a friend at the local arcades.

You know how frustrating & cheap the bosses & levels can get, especially when the CPU decides to kill you by unleashing 1million bullets at you.

Pretty Cool! :thumbs-up:

The best way to beat this game, with only 1 credit, is using the Ta152 Focke-Wulk aircraft. Its fire power might not be as impressive as the rest, but its secondary weapon, (the pink shield) is the only thing that’ll protect you from the cheap ass boss attacks when it decides to kill you.

Of course learning out the levels by heart does help a bit also. 😀

 

[CrazyGoon]

Originally posted by retroborg+Dec 6, 2003 @ 06:25 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(retroborg @ Dec 6, 2003 @ 06:25 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'>I never said that "The easier the game, the more fun it is?"[/b]

Correct. That quote came from me when I questioned racketboys logic - "more enjoyment can also be derived from it being easier".. not that this isn't true, or anything, but I would assume many people (including myself) get more enjoyment from harder games than easy games.

<!--QuoteBegin-retroborg@Dec 6, 2003 @ 06:25 AM

And I don't dislike hard games.[/quote]

As I said in my previous post, you sounded like you dislike hard games when you said this - "What disappointed me is the great difficulty level that makes it almost impossible to complete on Saturn mode." So right now, you don't dislike hard games, but you are disappointed in the great difficulty of a hard game such as Radiant Silvergun.

As for Stikers 1945 II - great game :lol: Yeah, even though the last level has a few bosses that go bullet crazy, if you play it long enough and look for gaps, then you can get past the bosses without dying. I've done it before (using the plane which deploys miniture planes that shoot stuff for you), but the ratio on which I would succeed against the times I fail would be ~ 1:8.