Help me choose...

[Spyke]

Hey there!

I got a generous Christmas bonus and am thinking that I could afford to buy one "big-hitter" game for any of my consoles! Specially with Christmas round the corner, and sales coming up (people selling off games to buy different ones etc).

There are quite a few games that would normally be out of my price range, that could be in my range for a while:

Cotton: Boomerang
Border Down
Battle Garegga
Gaia Seed
Ibara (!!)
Triggerheart Exelica
Bullet Soul
Eschatos
Others...

But it's a difficult decision. I like collecting the harder to get games, but to be honest am not that skilled a player. Put it this way, I used to have Dragon Blaze but just could not get anywehere with it and sold it. Don't miss it either!

I haven't completed a Gradius game yet, but I have 1cc-ed Hellfire, Thunderforce 3, Mushihimesame Futari 1.5 (novice only!) and a few others I can't remember now.

So, this could be an opportunity - but what to consider? Would love to hear your recommendations...

Cheers!

Ant

[Stark]

So I'm guessing all of the suggestions should be shmups?

[Spyke]

Absolutely - that's why I posted in this forum!

Yes, I only play shmups, apart from the occasional RPG (Skies of Arcadia at the moment).

Ant

[Stark]

Absolutely - that's why I posted in this forum!

Yes, I only play shmups, apart from the occasional RPG (Skies of Arcadia at the moment).

Ant

Ah yeah, I just clicked on new posts and didn't even look at where it was posted.

Seems like you got the pricier ones covered in your list.

How about NEO XYX? That looks like fun.

[Spyke]

I'd not heard of NEO XYX! Youtube vids show it looks good.
Great to see more new titles for Dreamcast!

Ant

[ExedExes]

I have 1cc-ed Hellfire

You call yourself not skilled. The one time I played Hellfire for reals recently, that Stage 2 boss had so much around it I could never dream of 1ccing that.

Anyways, we did Cotton Boomerang at SOTM this year. That might be a good one to get into. Not terribly hard and there's a neat team mechanic too.

[Spyke]

Heh - Hellfire lvl 2 is one of my all-time favourite stages!

Thanks for recommending Cotton Boomerang. It always looks great on vids I've watched. I'm currently playing Cotton 100% and love it. Had Cotton 2 but didn't get on with the fiddly controls. I read that Boomerang had a simpler control system?
Ant

[Erik_Twice]

If you are going to spend so much money on a game, better spend it on a game you can play over and over so perhaps Battle Garegga and Ibara are better options.

[noiseredux]

is Neo XYX even out yet?

[Stark]

is Neo XYX even out yet?

I think it is, but maybe not the Dreamcast version. I've been salivating over the MVS one.