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Have you guys heard of this?

http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-br- ... -2u1p.html

Which reminds me, can my US console play Japanese games?

It varies from game to game; Microsoft left it up to the publishers to decide if they want their title to be region-free or not.

That being said, this game will most certainly be unplayable on an American console. Many US releases are region-free, but most Asian releases are restricted.

Besides, if you were to buy this game, you would want the exclusive joystick... which will run you as much as a Japanese 360 will anyways. Importing gets expensive...

Is this the ones with the touchpad joystick?

Seems so, but its ridiculously expensive!

http://www.shopncsx.com/hspotomedius.aspx

and saw some gradius bosses on this trailer, what's up with that can't they make new ones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpYevri-3g8

I haven't been too interested in the past by Otomedius and Parodius, but man I am this close to breaking down and buying a JP 360 just for the Raiden games, Ketsui and DDPDOJ. If just one more great shooter gets released, I'm there.

And yes, unfortunately it is the US and "Asia" region games that are more likely to be region-free. Japanese games are almost never region-free from what I've seen.

And yes, that is ridiculously expensive for the stick. Maybe if Konami had a third-party developer make and distribute it, the price would have been better. But maybe they'll make a whole new genre of games requiring a stick and touchscreen.

Doctor Fugue wrote:I haven't been too interested in the past by Otomedius and Parodius, but man I am this close to breaking down and buying a JP 360 just for the Raiden games, Ketsui and DDPDOJ. If just one more great shooter gets released, I'm there.
And yes, unfortunately it is the US and "Asia" region games that are more likely to be region-free. Japanese games are almost never region-free from what I've seen.

And yes, that is ridiculously expensive for the stick. Maybe if Konami had a third-party developer make and distribute it, the price would have been better. But maybe they'll make a whole new genre of games requiring a stick and touchscreen.

You and me both. I'm fuming right now that these titles are region locked. I thought we had gotten past that stupid shit. Is anybody involved in the process rational? How have their (Nintendo, MS, Sony) decisions concerning lockout been anything but arbitrary?!? PS3 is not locked. Gameboy never has been. Xbox lets developer's decide now. Wii is locked. WTF?

And that stick looks to have enough buttons to function as a fighting stick (which I need), no? Hmm... (EDIT: Well, maybe not. I see four buttons, dammit.)

Apparently the stick has arcade standard parts (ie., the best possible): a Sanwa JLF-TM-8T-SK-GT-B stick and Sanwa OBSF-30 for the buttons. Don't ask me what it means, I just know they're awesome.


But the game doesn't really use the touch capabilities much. I believe most of the game is played normally, but when you launch a certain kind of bomb the screen freezes and you tap in the places where the enemies are. But how would that work? In the arcade, you are touching the actual screen, and so you can touch the enemies...while on this touchpad you don't really know where you are touching. I think I'm missing something here.

If you (ZenLogikos) are looking for a fighting stick for the 360...how about the Hori stick that keeps getting re-released every eight months? They're all the made with the same parts, not really arcade standard, but darn nice for the price. First it was a DOA4 stick, then a VF5 stick, then a blank EX2 stick, and now a SC4 stick. You should probably be able to still find that one. Are you perhaps getting ready for a little Street Fighter action?

Doctor Fugue wrote:If you (ZenLogikos) are looking for a fighting stick for the 360...how about the Hori stick that keeps getting re-released every eight months? They're all the made with the same parts, not really arcade standard, but darn nice for the price. First it was a DOA4 stick, then a VF5 stick, then a blank EX2 stick, and now a SC4 stick. You should probably be able to still find that one. Are you perhaps getting ready for a little Street Fighter action?

Yeah, I'll probably just end up getting one of those Hori's. Maybe wait for the eventual Street Fighter IV rebranding. I hate ball handle joysticks though(that sounds naughty...). I much prefer the bat handle. I assume I can purchase a bat handle from, say, Lizard Lick and screw it on? Now, I may blow your mind here Doc, but I'm not really a joystick player. I played in arcade's but was always better with and preferred using the gamepad. It's just that, well, the 360's direction pad sucks.

ZenLogikos wrote:I hate ball handle joysticks though(that sounds naughty...).

Anything involving stick-handling sounds naughty. It's especially funny when someone who doesn't speak English as their first language gives advice on stick-handling: "Now, grab your stick and pull it in all directions," or "Balls should be held only by the fingers, while bat-sticks should be held in the palm."

ZenLogikos wrote:I much prefer the bat handle. I assume I can purchase a bat handle from, say, Lizard Lick and screw it on?

Even though I can tell the difference between all the different types of ball-tops, I know exactly zero about modding sticks. You know what? I have no clue. I never even thought about that. I figured the throw distance for ball-tops is further, and also the post is a different length for bat-tops, so that's why I think this wouldn't work. I haven't actually played with a bat-stick in so long, I can't remember how it feels.

ZenLogikos wrote:Now, I may blow your mind here Doc, but I'm not really a joystick player.

I'm speechless. I refuse to deal with you anymore! Anyone who doesn't use a stick for every game ever made should be shot.
I even use an arcade stick for Guitar Hero, House of the Dead, and Wii Sports.

ZenLogikos wrote:It's just that, well, the 360's direction pad sucks.

Very true. Why is it worse than the Xbox's d-pad? Well, because they decided to try something new instead of the usual method that pretty much every other d-pad uses. I still prefer it to some others because it is a full circle and my style of "hover-and-tap" doesn't work well on cross-shaped d-pads. I can't go diagonal on any Nintendo systems.

DoctorFugue wrote:

ZenLogikos wrote:Now, I may blow your mind here Doc, but I'm not really a joystick player.

I'm speechless. I refuse to deal with you anymore! Anyone who doesn't use a stick for every game ever made should be shot.
I even use an arcade stick for Guitar Hero, House of the Dead, and Wii Sports.

That seriously had me --->

Despite not buying them for home, I've always been familiar with the sticks throughout the years, as my good friend always buys them. I do prefer the gamepad, but I'm not averse to using the joystick. It's just that I'm a "full body mover"...I'd have to bolt the thing down!