This #PasokonSunday, let's de-stress with some Metal Force on PC-98!
This vertical STG from CHIME nails the bread-and-butter aspects of J-PC doujin shooters--more polished than usual.
-Great BGM from KID (of Final Crisis fame)
-Fun boost/weapon systems
-Smooth difficulty curve
This vertical STG from CHIME nails the bread-and-butter aspects of J-PC doujin shooters--more polished than usual.
-Great BGM from KID (of Final Crisis fame)
-Fun boost/weapon systems
-Smooth difficulty curve
YouTube longplay for Metal Force butchers its resolution/video quality, so I'll upload the lengthy intro here for now.
Though published by eroge firm Youentai, Metal Force's the work of a rather unknown studio called CHIME; its developers might have helped develop Final Crisis.
Though published by eroge firm Youentai, Metal Force's the work of a rather unknown studio called CHIME; its developers might have helped develop Final Crisis.
As ＫＥＹＮＥＳ ＢＬＡＣＫ, a typical arcade sci-fi ace dude, it's on you to stop an enemy invasion of Earth.
Macross-like story aside, expect a robust vertical STG with audiovisuals pushing the PC-98's limits. Its composer, Daisuke Takahashi (KID), also worked on Final Crisis!
Macross-like story aside, expect a robust vertical STG with audiovisuals pushing the PC-98's limits. Its composer, Daisuke Takahashi (KID), also worked on Final Crisis!
Some observations for the opening:
-We get the captain's hobby, but not the operator's? I suppose listing her measurements was mandated by the publisher.
-Twitter's video scaler really doesn't like 640x400 16-color footage, judging by the thumbnail artifacts.
Now, let's move on
-We get the captain's hobby, but not the operator's? I suppose listing her measurements was mandated by the publisher.
-Twitter's video scaler really doesn't like 640x400 16-color footage, judging by the thumbnail artifacts.
Now, let's move on
Like many commercial J-PC shooters, Metal Force has at least one extra mode (score attack), a BGM test, and plenty of config options to accommodate players.
If you plan on playing Metal Force, make sure to enable or hook up the SpeakBoard sound device! The game requires it.
If you plan on playing Metal Force, make sure to enable or hook up the SpeakBoard sound device! The game requires it.
Metal Force upends the Raiden item norm: you can keep and switch between three weapons, but only by boosting. And you get no bombs of your own, a change from Final Crisis's lifebar bombs.
As the game has a rank system and horizontal scrolling space, it's harder than it looks.
As the game has a rank system and horizontal scrolling space, it's harder than it looks.
Of course, it's no mere space shooter. It's got plenty of earthbound action in tow, along with some varied multi-stage bosses that flagrantly show off CHIME's technical achievements.
(There's even more impressive late-era showpieces than this game.)
Also, those voice samples!
(There's even more impressive late-era showpieces than this game.)
Also, those voice samples!
By the third stage, things really ramp up:
-Enemy waves are more capricious
-Music gets more dire and rhythmic
-You have to decide which weapon goes first as the deaths pile up
-Screen-spanning fire out the wazoo
With the right settings, Metal Force ranges from easy to brutal.
-Enemy waves are more capricious
-Music gets more dire and rhythmic
-You have to decide which weapon goes first as the deaths pile up
-Screen-spanning fire out the wazoo
With the right settings, Metal Force ranges from easy to brutal.
Just reaching the end of the third stage put me atop the Normal high-score table.
One nice feature: from the config menu, you can select which stage to start from. Got as far as I did? You can choose to start there!
I forget if other PC-98 shooters have anything similar. Hmm.
One nice feature: from the config menu, you can select which stage to start from. Got as far as I did? You can choose to start there!
I forget if other PC-98 shooters have anything similar. Hmm.
