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[FARTRON]

While maybe not necessarily distinct from the Indy Shmups Thread, this is the thread for  Kenta Cho discussion.

For example, LA2 is his new Flash based, Game of Life shooter, and I dig it.

[cactus]

I didn't really like LA2, and neither have I enjoyed mr Cho's other online (java) based games as much as his more powerful ones. I recently got around to trying Tumiki Fighters, and was pleasantly surprised that it actually ran on my computer. It seemed pretty fun, but it lacks something all of his games seem to do.

They all have style and gameplay, but nothing more. I don't know if it is story elements I miss, but I'd play his games more if they had something to get attached to at least. But I guess that such features might take away from the amazing audiovisual presentation all of his work carries.

My favourite games of his are probably Noiz2sa and rRootage. But I haven't tried Taurus Trooper, Titanion, Gunroar or Mu-Cade yet. So I guess my opinions may not be as valid as I assume. While on that subject, I might as well go try 'em right now 

[DrDerekDoctors]

I find the hero-worship of Kenta Cho completely inexplicable as I've found none of this games to be anything more than run of the mill.

Shall I banninate myself?

[Oddbob]

No, just set a course for a heady dose of Gunroar! and you'll be fine

[DrDerekDoctors]

No, just set a course for a heady dose of Gunroar! and you'll be fine

Gunroar was alright, but didn't wow me at all. Possibly my malaise is due to his games being all about the scoring rather than the progress and shiny new things.

Ah well, gimme Clean Asia any day.

[Xion]

No, just set a course for a heady dose of Gunroar! and you'll be fine

Meh @ Gunroar. Torus Trooper all the way!

[ptoing]

Meh @ Gunroar. Torus Trooper all the way!

QFT!!!

[Zaphos]

Possibly my malaise is due to his games being all about the scoring rather than the progress and shiny new things.

A metaphor for dating?  ... suddenly whether I like Kenta Cho seems like a gender issue ... 

[Derek]

Possibly my malaise is due to his games being all about the scoring rather than the progress and shiny new things.

A metaphor for dating?  ... suddenly whether I like Kenta Cho seems like a gender issue ... 

 :D

[Alex May]

Tumiki Fighters has a good core concept that needs expanding. The camera needs to zoom out as you accrue larger and larger enemies, enabling you to fight even bigger enemies, perhaps even those that previously were so big they were terrain.

I started work on a prototype of this expanded concepts which quickly took a turn for the biological. The idea was that inside a cell, the nucleus defends itself against intruders using antibodies. Never mind if it's not true, just take the concept.

The nucleus attacks the intruder (you) by releasing antibodies which attack it. The antibodes are killed by the intruder which attaches the dead antibodies to its own mass, turning their weapons against the nucleus itself. The nuclues is destroyed, and the intruder leaves the cell via the cell wall. The intruder is now in a space surrounded by many other cells of the same size as the one it just left. Penetrating the cell wall triggers another cycle of intruder vs. nucleus. Each accrued antibody increases the size of the intruder. Eventually the intruder is too big to penetrate a cell wall, at which point it becomes apparent the the cells being predated are actually antibodies of a larger cell. The cycle continues, perhaps through different types of cell, and perhaps eventually through blood vessels and into major organs (bosses?).

[FARTRON]

Tumiki Fighters has a good core concept that needs expanding. The camera needs to zoom out as you accrue larger and larger enemies, enabling you to fight even bigger enemies, perhaps even those that previously were so big they were terrain.

Katamari Fighters?  I'd play.  Innovative way to answer the no progress, no shiny things complaint without resorting to story.

[ptoing]

Stories are in most cases useless anyway and are just tacked on afterwards.

[fish]

anybody here think we might end up having to pay to play the new shinny kenta cho game on our console of choice?

or is the man really the mysterious indie hero he's made out to be?

does he have a girlfriend?

[Shinji16]

One thing I've loved ABA Games for is the ability to say "Oh? You don't know know what shmups are?" or "You're wondering what would be a good game to get started on to check out shmups?" and be able to easily show them rRootage or Noiz2sa.

He has a great style, he's done some very cool things, and he works solo. I keep him as an inspiration.

In regards to the console question, there was an interview done with him, and he said he wanted to keep his games free (I'd fetch it, but I'm feeling really depressed and lazy at the mooment). So unless someone uses homebrew and fan-ports it, I don't think it'll happen. And I have no problem with it staying on the PC only.

[lowpoly]

the question is, would you buy his games if he started charging? Are they that good or are they cool and free?

[ptoing]

Thing is they are not full games anyway. They are more like experiments most of the time. He is just haveing fun and shares it. I doubt he would charge for stuff like that ever.

[Xion]

Agreed.
Unless he makes a full-scale game with online play as well as an assortment of single-player mission modes as well as a classic arcade mode, I can't imagine buying any of his games. They just don't seem like full games...
Hell, I bet he'd be able to make money off a game even without an assortment of missions and above-average arcade mode. Online play alone would bring people in droves, maybe even willing to pay, if the competitiveness was high enough.

...

[Anthony Flack]

Possibly he could, but I'm sure it would take most of the fun out of it. Making experiments and prototypes is fun; making full-length games can be a grind. And games like Tumiki Fighters, while interesting as conceptual pieces, would require a huge amount of work to transform into fully-functional games.

anybody here think we might end up having to pay to play the new shinny kenta cho game on our console of choice?

or is the man really the mysterious indie hero he's made out to be?

I hope that it isn't a prerequisite that indie heroes stick to making PC freeware. 

[Shinji16]

Would I buy his games if they were being sold? Show me the game, and I'll give you my answer.

There are some games that I absolutely love the author and their work, but I don't enjoy the game enough to see it as being worth the money (looking at you Blast Miner). At the same time, how else would I encourage the author to keep making games or new content (and no, I haven't given a red cent to Blast Miner)?

Also, a lot of Kento Cho's stuff, while being full fledged games, are not very deep and indeed are like experiements. So, if he put something up, stuck a price tag on it, the only thing that would determine my buying it would be if it was fun or I truly believed deserved enough respect from me that could be transfered into me buying it as a sign of support.

Also, last I checked, indie heroes tend to do whatever they want. Look at PomPom for one.

[fish]

id pay for some of his stuff.
playing on my couch witha  controller in hand is worth a lot of money to me.
i hate, hate mouses and keyboard. i spend all day at my desk, when i go home and i wanna play games, i wanna sit down and relax, not sit a computer.

but yeah, that'll prolly never happen.