Under Defeat: Deluxe Edition

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As a fan of all things shooters and Dreamcast, I was pretty excited to get my hands on Under Defeat HD. I originally had this ordered from a competitor's website, then I pre-ordered on Amazon for the heck of it, which I'm glad I did since it's now an Amazon.com exclusive, so if you want it, don't hesitate, buy it ASAP.

First and foremost, it must be said how beautiful this game looks with its glossy HD makeover. Everything is crisp and has much more detail than the Dreamcast version. For the most part, it all runs buttery smooth, too. I've seen some complaints about "slowdown" on the Playstation Blog and some other places, however these people must not know that slowdown is a feature in shooters like this and not a technical issue. This is a vertical shooter and the gameplay feels as good as ever. Yes, compared to other shooters this has a different feel, however it doesn't take long to acclimate to.

Also, I feel it needs to be said that $29.99 for a retail shooter is an absolute steal. I've heard complaints that these need to be $10-$15 Xbox Live Arcade/Playstation Store downloads, but I just disagree. As a fan of old school games, specifically shooters, I like getting something physical, not having a game sitting on a hard drive with no guarantees. I like the peace of mind that I can play this 15 years down the road, which is important for classic games like this that have timeless qualities. For $29.99 you're getting the game, physical soundtrack w/ digital art book, all DLC and patches from the other region versions, and a brand new in-game chopper. In addition, unlike most games these days, you're getting a color manual included. The import price for this game on NCSX is $83.90, so its $29.99 price is nearly 1/3 of that of the import version. In other words, this price is awesome.

Under Defeat HD is a game that deserves your support. It's inexpensive, packed with goodness, and it's just a quality shooter, as well as being the first retail shooter to hit North American PS3's. Buy it.

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Back in 2006, developer G.rev released Under Defeat on the Dreamcast in Japan. Obviously this was well past the point where Dreamcast games were getting regular releases in North America, so the game stayed off shore at the time. I managed import the game and spent a lot of time with it. And now with this release, it's finally available for everyone.

The PS3 version is, as the name implies, a high-definition remake. The arcade mode is very similar to the Dreamcast version. There are a few minor changes here and there, so a purist may want to stick to the Dreamcast version, however it's close enough for most players. Also included is the New Order version that includes a modified play field suitable for widescreen displays. You can also choose to play with dual analog controls, optimized for modern controllers, or stick with the original arcade rotation scheme. So we get the best of both worlds: A reasonable approximation of the original game and controls, and a revamped version to take full advantage of modern setups.

Under Defeat is a shmup. You fly a helicopter, shoot stuff, grab powerups, and avoid bullets. The field of play is an overhead slightly angled view, similar to Raystorm.

The 'twist' to Under Defeat is that your helicoptor can rotate slightly to shoot at different angles. There are also two planes of play, with air targets and ground targets. Your helicoptor normally fires forward, however when a ground target comes into range your angle of fire changes to lock-on to them instead. Powerups consist of small pods that fire along side you, with missles, chainguns, etc. These are activated by pausing your fire to charge them up; thus you often have better firepower by not shooting all the time. Planning which powerups to use and when to activate them adds an additional layer of strategy, and is often more critical than it appears at first glance. This also lets you target multiple enemies at the same time, or concentrate fire on more sturdy enemies.

The level design is where Under Defeat truly shines. From assaulting enemy bases, to battling fleets of ships, to assisting allied tanks on the battlefield, everything is placed well and makes sense. Often when allies are on the screen, you can choose to attack enemies firing at you, or assist those allies against enemies that are targeting them so they can continue fighting. It's really slick design that helps the game feel more like a battlefield.

Boss fights are huge and intimidating, with multiple parts to destroy. This gives a lot of flexibility in how you want to approach them: You can concentrate fire and go straight for the kill, or pick them apart piece by piece.

Under Defeat is a difficult game. Don't let modern "bullet-hell" shmups fool you, more bullets does not always mean harder. I've gotten single credit clears on several modern and old arcade shmups, however this one gives me trouble from time to time. Still, the learning curve is very much worth it as each level just gets better than the last.

It's not every day a shmup gets a disc-based release on PS3, and this is one of the better ones on any console. With added features to take advantage of HD displays and modern controllers, and an original version for the arcade experinece, you really can't go wrong. And at the retail price, it's a steal compared to what the Dreamcast version goes for.

Buy Under Defeat: Deluxe Edition Now

Under Defeat is a great shoot that original came out on the Dreamcast a couple of years ago. Now, this great shooter has new modes, an exclusive chopper, and HD graphics. I played this game on the Dreamcast, it suffered from on screen lag time. Now on the PS3 the HD graphics are beautiful (you must have a HDTV to truly appreciate it). The gameplay is very solid and hard at times (I have not tried the easy mode but will not cause I am true gamer). Once you have completed a level you can go back in practice mode to master that level. I have been playing for about 2 weeks now and I am very satisfied with this game. If you are a fan of the classic overhead shooter Under Defeat is a game you must have in your library. For $32.00 you can't go wrong with that.

Read Best Reviews of Under Defeat: Deluxe Edition Here

Under Defeat is an interesting story. It started out as one the final releases for the Dreamcast in the midlate 2000s, in which the system was already dead everywhere else outside Japan. The fact that not only did G Rev rereleased it modern consoles, with Rising Star Games releasing it in the U.S., this really makes it a gem for the current generation. One can only hope if RS Games will release more in the U.S., after all, they did help release King of Fighters 13 in Europe!

Here's to every shmup gamer across the globe!

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If you are a fan of the Toaplan military shooters of the late 80's/early 90's, get this game. It hits the right notes. Excellent soundtrack(s), new features not in the original DC version such as dual stick mode and redone HD graphics, and and accessible challenge set this shmup apart. Don't expect Cave bullet curtains. Don't expect Ikaruga's level of design. Under defeat is just pure old school arcade fun,