I played it for the first time this past summer and I thought it was really cool. It definitely has an "old school CAVE" feel, as compared to their glossier releases like ESP Galuda 2 or DDP DFK. The sprite art is super unique. Definitely a gem.
Do you have any recommendations for scoring? It seems like you have a normal shot and a homing shot, and then some kind of absorb shield (??). Admittedly, I haven't played it beyond the third stage which is where my 1 credit runs out.
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On a different note, M2 also discussed their new modes for Ketsui Deathtiny
via Siliconera
M2 revealed that in Super Easy mode, you’ll be able to meet the true final boss, DOOM, no matter what. This makes some of the hidden features of the game more accessible for players.
Speaking of extra modes, the crew have brought in the ‘IKD 2007 Special’ version of Ketsui, which was only available in limited amounts at a Cave event back then. They asked Ikeda-san for the program data, and brought it into the release. This was also quite troublesome, because some of the features function differently compared to the arcade release.
Next is Custom Mode, which offers various options to change up the gameplay. For example, M2 have included a custom option to turn on the Ketsui Bomb, which was a bug in the original arcade release that was stamped out in later versions. You can also show your hurtbox, as well as make the point bosses change forms visible on their health bar. The aim was to bring the game closer to Cave’s more recent releases.
The final new mode is the Bond Develop mode, which is supposed to help players out with practicing segments they aren’t good at. When you die in Arcade Mode, your record will be noted down, and you can find Bond Fragments in Bond Develop mode that are based on your last 25 records. Choosing one will bring you into 5 seconds before you died, and you must survive for ten seconds. By doing so, you earn points that can even be compared against with other players on online leaderboards. That said, you can’t just abuse this by dying early in Arcade Mode, because the harder the stages cleared before dying, the more points you receive. So it creates a feedback loop of getting better at those stages, then doing better in Arcade Mode to get more points in Bond Develop mode.
This "Bond Develop Mode" is particularly cool.
It sounds like they're trying to encourage high-level shmup play. Practicing and overcoming a difficult stretch is the bread and butter of shmup practice, and that's exactly what your rewards are in that mode. Seems like a fun way to "gamify" the drudgery of practice.
Being able to play the IKD 2007 Special will also be really sweet.
I think it'll be neat. I'm excited to get my PS4 copy whenever that finally comes out this year.
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