jp
06-07-2007, 08:18 PM
WarTech: Senko no Ronde
Review by: Jonathan Patrick
You know, someone should really send Ubisoft a "Thank You" card. As of late they've really been on the ball with bringing over obscure and niche titles such as From Software's "Enchanted Arms" and Genki's "Shokuto Battle X" (aka "Import Tuner Challenge") that us Westerners would otherwise probably never get to play (since, to my knowledge no region swapping boot disc exists for the Xbox360). But who would've thought that Ubisoft would pick of Senko no Ronde, the arcade cult hit from the Dreamcast community's best friend, G.Rev? So it definitely came as a surprise to those disappointed with Senko no Ronde's region-locked status when War Tech: Senko no Ronde started showing up on pre-order sites much to our delight. So now that we finally have G.Rev's arcade hit, is it worth the wait?
Senko no Ronde is, at its core, the combination of a 2D shooter and a fighting game. In the game, you pilot a "Rounder" (note: mech) in 1-on-1 matches against the computer, a friend, or online. Once the matches begin, a frantic dodge fest ensues filled with bullet patterns that could make a Cave fanatic look twice and those damned lasers G.Rev fans know all too well. At first glance, Senko no Ronde's gameplay is fairly basic. You have a Dash, a main weapon, a sub weapon, a barrage attack, a shield, B.O.S.S. mode, and Overdrive. You basically just fly around a 2D playing field lobbing bullet-hell at your opponent with your barrage attacks or taking pot shots with your main weapon or using your sub weapon for some more intelligent fire power (sometimes homing attacks). Of course, Senko no Ronde is a lot deeper than that. For one, pending on if you're dashing or have your shields up or not your attacks are different. For example, if you fire you main weapon while just normally moving, it'll be different than if you fired it while dashing, which is also different from if you fired it while you had your shield up. So each attack has about three different forms right off the bat. And much like any traditional fighting game, various button combinations can create special moves (back, back, Y+B for example). And any time you use a special move (or your barrage attack) your Special Meter goes down. Likewise, if you get hit while your shield is up you'll take less damage but your Special Meter takes a beating too. Also, if you take melee damage it drastically decreases your Special Meter. So why am I putting so much focus on the Special Meter? Well, your Special Meter is very important when B.O.S.S. time comes around, regardless of which side you're on. When a character activates B.O.S.S. mode, they turn into a giant boss, similar like the ones found most 2D shooters, and proceed to unleash hell upon their opponent. When B.O.S.S. mode is activated, a new yellow life bar appears and the Special Meter begins running down. Obviously, once either of these bars reaches zero B.O.S.S. mode ends and the player returns to being a regular Rounder. But, if the player didn't take much damage in B.O.S.S. mode, and the yellow life bar is higher than their normal life bar, they'll get the amount extra added to their regular life bar. And since the B.O.S.S. mode life bar is directly tied to your Special Meter (the more Special Meter the more life you have as a B.O.S.S.), it definitely adds a nice layer of strategy in deciding when to best use the boss form. Though if you're the Rounder fighting the boss, then you can use a "super shield" that will cancel all the bullets it touches all at the price of half of your Special Meter. So you won't get to use it much during the beating you'll recieve from the B.O.S.S. player. Then there's Overdrive, where you take on less damage and pack more of a punch all while slowly losing life, and once again your Special Meter acts as a timer. Losing life AND Special Meter in this form definitely makes it a "In Case of Emergency Only" type situation, which adds even more strategy to the seemingly simple 2D shooter/fighting game hybrid.
One thing that really impresses me about Senko no Ronde is how different the characters are. Each character plays incredibly different from every other character available. Just because you mastered Mika, doesn't mean you'll be able to use Karel just as well. Whereas Mika focuses on tricky bullet patterns, cornering people with his main shot, and his homing missiles; Karel is more about waiting for solid openings and letting loose his powerful sniper cannon. And the same goes for the entire roster really. Every character plays dramatically different from the rest, and this is one thing that really amazes me, because its pulled off VERY well and is incredibly balanced. Sure, at first glance it seems like some characters are cheap either due to incredibly powerful super moves (Ernula) or seem too "n00b friendly" due to their easy accessibility for new players (Mika), but each has their weaknesses that even a moderately skilled player should be able to spot and exploit with no problem. Likewise, some characters seem worthless at first (Lili, Sakurako), but once you put some time in with them, you'll see that they can be just a ferocious in a match as Ernula or Fabian. G.Rev really balanced the characters incredibly well, and for this I applaud their skill.
The game is split up into three modes. For starters, you have a Story Mode where you play through 6 fights followed by a face off against one of two "true bosses" at, or towards, the end (sometime the boss fights take place in level 6 and is followed by a regular fight). During Story Mode the characters will chatter between each other (in Japanese no less, nice!) and you won't really pay attention because to do so requires you to read the subtitles which would probably result in a loss. But a story is there, and involves two factions and a few unaligned characters fighting despite not wanting to and discussing the finer points in life. You know, the typical anime type plot. G.Rev also included the Arcade Original Story Mode in the game, but aside from a few color changes I'm not sure what exactly is different in this version.
The next mode is Score Attack, where you will fight each character in the game and both bosses. Don't panic if you can't beat the bosses in single player, for you still progress in Score Attack even if you lose to the bosses.
Next up you can play against a friend on your 360 or online via Versus and Xbox Live. Standard Xbox Live functionality here, Ranked Matches for world wide standing and upping your rank, and Player Matches for when you just want to play for fun without any stats being recorded. Sadly, finding a game online in Senko no Ronde is a bit challenging, despite players from all over the world being able to play against each other. But the ranking is done well, with there being three ranks (Novice, Rounder, HiRounder) and you have to acquire 10 levels in each rank to go the next. When you lose online, you'll only lose rank points if you lose all of the rounds, and even then you're only losing 5 or so points (whereas by winning you'll gain 30+). If you win a round though, G.Rev is nice enough to go as far as to GIVE you a few rank points as a nice constellation prize. Sadly, sometimes, if the other player's connection sucks, lag can get pretty bad, which pretty much kills the match from the get go.
Graphically, Senko no Ronde looks good for what it is. Nice lighting effects on the lasers/bullets, everything runs smoothly, particle effects are good, and all in all its just a nice looking title. No, its not Gears of War, but for a 2D shooter/fighting game, it looks damn good and definitely has a nice coat of polish over its Naomi counter part.
In so far as the music, as per usual for G.Rev, you either get it or you don't. Some people hate G.Rev's soundtracks, others adore them. Personally, I loved the music in Border Down, and Senko no Ronde is very much more of the same. Something about the light jazz going along with the insane space battle just works for me and puts me in a good vibe for playing. There's also the "Panzer Dragoon"esque song (for some reason every G.Rev game save Idol Star Seeker has at least one...) and the typical dramatic battle music. Me? I loved the soundtrack for this game so much I've already ordered the CD. But if you expect death metal or hardcore rap to come with your 2D shooters, then you will be sadly disappointed by G.Rev's genius.
The game controls fairly well, but is honestly a bit floaty. I imagine an arcade stick or solid d-pad could help this issue, but I still feel that the general movement could've used just a little bit more tweaking given that you're dodging pretty nasty bullet patterns. Also, controlling B.O.S.S. is just a hair too clunky for my taste. Its just a bit more difficult to pull off attacks and aim than I feel it should be. Yes, it should be somewhat clunky since you're driving a giant boss, but I still feel it could've been done a little bit better. Other than that, special moves are easy enough to pull off, everything is very responsive, and dashing works great.
So in closing, I guess the big question is: "Is this game worth the $60 price tag?" Well, if you're already a G.Rev fan, then chances are you already own the game since you paid more than that for Border Down and Under Defeat on the Dreamcast. If not, here's a couple of questions to help you decide:
Do you yearn for the days of old where you could lose tons of quarters trying to blast through a 2D shooter or master the latest
2D fighter?
Do you enjoy spending hours in a fighting game learning your favorite characters?
Are you a retro-gamer at heart and looking for something completely unique for your shiney 360?
If you answered yes to any of these, then yes, Senko no Ronde is worth your $60. Its a good game. Its a damn good game. But its so niche that you really are going to have to be of a specific "gamer breed" to appreciate it. If you're just some guy that passively plays Halo or Tom Clancy's latest offering, then Senko no Ronde probably won't be worth it to you. But if you're drooling over releases like Aegis Wing and Xevious, and you had a blast with Mars Matrix, Gradius V, Giga Wing, etc., then without a doubt Senko no Ronde will be a game you will enjoy. Senko no Ronde is a very well made game, especially considering that its pretty much in a genre by itself. Is there room for improvement? Of course there is. But for the
time being, G.Rev has offered up an experience that is definitely on par for the quality of gaming they have defined for themselves.
Score: 4.5/5
I made it all pretty with a title too. I'm thinkin' that'll be the format I use when I turn my dopey little angelfire site (with its weird cult following :lol:) into a really real site.
Though since Senko no Ronde is a new release, I figure you can find screen shots and movies elsewhere. This isn't Taromaru or Keio Flying Squadron 2, ;)
Review by: Jonathan Patrick
You know, someone should really send Ubisoft a "Thank You" card. As of late they've really been on the ball with bringing over obscure and niche titles such as From Software's "Enchanted Arms" and Genki's "Shokuto Battle X" (aka "Import Tuner Challenge") that us Westerners would otherwise probably never get to play (since, to my knowledge no region swapping boot disc exists for the Xbox360). But who would've thought that Ubisoft would pick of Senko no Ronde, the arcade cult hit from the Dreamcast community's best friend, G.Rev? So it definitely came as a surprise to those disappointed with Senko no Ronde's region-locked status when War Tech: Senko no Ronde started showing up on pre-order sites much to our delight. So now that we finally have G.Rev's arcade hit, is it worth the wait?
Senko no Ronde is, at its core, the combination of a 2D shooter and a fighting game. In the game, you pilot a "Rounder" (note: mech) in 1-on-1 matches against the computer, a friend, or online. Once the matches begin, a frantic dodge fest ensues filled with bullet patterns that could make a Cave fanatic look twice and those damned lasers G.Rev fans know all too well. At first glance, Senko no Ronde's gameplay is fairly basic. You have a Dash, a main weapon, a sub weapon, a barrage attack, a shield, B.O.S.S. mode, and Overdrive. You basically just fly around a 2D playing field lobbing bullet-hell at your opponent with your barrage attacks or taking pot shots with your main weapon or using your sub weapon for some more intelligent fire power (sometimes homing attacks). Of course, Senko no Ronde is a lot deeper than that. For one, pending on if you're dashing or have your shields up or not your attacks are different. For example, if you fire you main weapon while just normally moving, it'll be different than if you fired it while dashing, which is also different from if you fired it while you had your shield up. So each attack has about three different forms right off the bat. And much like any traditional fighting game, various button combinations can create special moves (back, back, Y+B for example). And any time you use a special move (or your barrage attack) your Special Meter goes down. Likewise, if you get hit while your shield is up you'll take less damage but your Special Meter takes a beating too. Also, if you take melee damage it drastically decreases your Special Meter. So why am I putting so much focus on the Special Meter? Well, your Special Meter is very important when B.O.S.S. time comes around, regardless of which side you're on. When a character activates B.O.S.S. mode, they turn into a giant boss, similar like the ones found most 2D shooters, and proceed to unleash hell upon their opponent. When B.O.S.S. mode is activated, a new yellow life bar appears and the Special Meter begins running down. Obviously, once either of these bars reaches zero B.O.S.S. mode ends and the player returns to being a regular Rounder. But, if the player didn't take much damage in B.O.S.S. mode, and the yellow life bar is higher than their normal life bar, they'll get the amount extra added to their regular life bar. And since the B.O.S.S. mode life bar is directly tied to your Special Meter (the more Special Meter the more life you have as a B.O.S.S.), it definitely adds a nice layer of strategy in deciding when to best use the boss form. Though if you're the Rounder fighting the boss, then you can use a "super shield" that will cancel all the bullets it touches all at the price of half of your Special Meter. So you won't get to use it much during the beating you'll recieve from the B.O.S.S. player. Then there's Overdrive, where you take on less damage and pack more of a punch all while slowly losing life, and once again your Special Meter acts as a timer. Losing life AND Special Meter in this form definitely makes it a "In Case of Emergency Only" type situation, which adds even more strategy to the seemingly simple 2D shooter/fighting game hybrid.
One thing that really impresses me about Senko no Ronde is how different the characters are. Each character plays incredibly different from every other character available. Just because you mastered Mika, doesn't mean you'll be able to use Karel just as well. Whereas Mika focuses on tricky bullet patterns, cornering people with his main shot, and his homing missiles; Karel is more about waiting for solid openings and letting loose his powerful sniper cannon. And the same goes for the entire roster really. Every character plays dramatically different from the rest, and this is one thing that really amazes me, because its pulled off VERY well and is incredibly balanced. Sure, at first glance it seems like some characters are cheap either due to incredibly powerful super moves (Ernula) or seem too "n00b friendly" due to their easy accessibility for new players (Mika), but each has their weaknesses that even a moderately skilled player should be able to spot and exploit with no problem. Likewise, some characters seem worthless at first (Lili, Sakurako), but once you put some time in with them, you'll see that they can be just a ferocious in a match as Ernula or Fabian. G.Rev really balanced the characters incredibly well, and for this I applaud their skill.
The game is split up into three modes. For starters, you have a Story Mode where you play through 6 fights followed by a face off against one of two "true bosses" at, or towards, the end (sometime the boss fights take place in level 6 and is followed by a regular fight). During Story Mode the characters will chatter between each other (in Japanese no less, nice!) and you won't really pay attention because to do so requires you to read the subtitles which would probably result in a loss. But a story is there, and involves two factions and a few unaligned characters fighting despite not wanting to and discussing the finer points in life. You know, the typical anime type plot. G.Rev also included the Arcade Original Story Mode in the game, but aside from a few color changes I'm not sure what exactly is different in this version.
The next mode is Score Attack, where you will fight each character in the game and both bosses. Don't panic if you can't beat the bosses in single player, for you still progress in Score Attack even if you lose to the bosses.
Next up you can play against a friend on your 360 or online via Versus and Xbox Live. Standard Xbox Live functionality here, Ranked Matches for world wide standing and upping your rank, and Player Matches for when you just want to play for fun without any stats being recorded. Sadly, finding a game online in Senko no Ronde is a bit challenging, despite players from all over the world being able to play against each other. But the ranking is done well, with there being three ranks (Novice, Rounder, HiRounder) and you have to acquire 10 levels in each rank to go the next. When you lose online, you'll only lose rank points if you lose all of the rounds, and even then you're only losing 5 or so points (whereas by winning you'll gain 30+). If you win a round though, G.Rev is nice enough to go as far as to GIVE you a few rank points as a nice constellation prize. Sadly, sometimes, if the other player's connection sucks, lag can get pretty bad, which pretty much kills the match from the get go.
Graphically, Senko no Ronde looks good for what it is. Nice lighting effects on the lasers/bullets, everything runs smoothly, particle effects are good, and all in all its just a nice looking title. No, its not Gears of War, but for a 2D shooter/fighting game, it looks damn good and definitely has a nice coat of polish over its Naomi counter part.
In so far as the music, as per usual for G.Rev, you either get it or you don't. Some people hate G.Rev's soundtracks, others adore them. Personally, I loved the music in Border Down, and Senko no Ronde is very much more of the same. Something about the light jazz going along with the insane space battle just works for me and puts me in a good vibe for playing. There's also the "Panzer Dragoon"esque song (for some reason every G.Rev game save Idol Star Seeker has at least one...) and the typical dramatic battle music. Me? I loved the soundtrack for this game so much I've already ordered the CD. But if you expect death metal or hardcore rap to come with your 2D shooters, then you will be sadly disappointed by G.Rev's genius.
The game controls fairly well, but is honestly a bit floaty. I imagine an arcade stick or solid d-pad could help this issue, but I still feel that the general movement could've used just a little bit more tweaking given that you're dodging pretty nasty bullet patterns. Also, controlling B.O.S.S. is just a hair too clunky for my taste. Its just a bit more difficult to pull off attacks and aim than I feel it should be. Yes, it should be somewhat clunky since you're driving a giant boss, but I still feel it could've been done a little bit better. Other than that, special moves are easy enough to pull off, everything is very responsive, and dashing works great.
So in closing, I guess the big question is: "Is this game worth the $60 price tag?" Well, if you're already a G.Rev fan, then chances are you already own the game since you paid more than that for Border Down and Under Defeat on the Dreamcast. If not, here's a couple of questions to help you decide:
Do you yearn for the days of old where you could lose tons of quarters trying to blast through a 2D shooter or master the latest
2D fighter?
Do you enjoy spending hours in a fighting game learning your favorite characters?
Are you a retro-gamer at heart and looking for something completely unique for your shiney 360?
If you answered yes to any of these, then yes, Senko no Ronde is worth your $60. Its a good game. Its a damn good game. But its so niche that you really are going to have to be of a specific "gamer breed" to appreciate it. If you're just some guy that passively plays Halo or Tom Clancy's latest offering, then Senko no Ronde probably won't be worth it to you. But if you're drooling over releases like Aegis Wing and Xevious, and you had a blast with Mars Matrix, Gradius V, Giga Wing, etc., then without a doubt Senko no Ronde will be a game you will enjoy. Senko no Ronde is a very well made game, especially considering that its pretty much in a genre by itself. Is there room for improvement? Of course there is. But for the
time being, G.Rev has offered up an experience that is definitely on par for the quality of gaming they have defined for themselves.
Score: 4.5/5
I made it all pretty with a title too. I'm thinkin' that'll be the format I use when I turn my dopey little angelfire site (with its weird cult following :lol:) into a really real site.
Though since Senko no Ronde is a new release, I figure you can find screen shots and movies elsewhere. This isn't Taromaru or Keio Flying Squadron 2, ;)