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March 28, 2024, 08:37:36 PM

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Japanese Xbox 360 (advice needed)

Started by The Boston Crab, February 20, 2019, 03:35:32 PM

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I basically want to play a load of Japanese Cave shmups that are never coming to backwards compatibility. A good chunk were released in the West but there are a handful which only ever appeared in Japan or in the Arcade. Unless Arcade Club install a few more (and they do have Ketsui  Dodonpachi DaiOuJou and Armed Police Batrider), I'm shit outta luck.


Basically  does anyone know what my best bet would be? Is it a region free console? Could I buy a cheap 2nd hand one and just try to find the games at a reasonable price? Would I need a Japanese 360 for Japanese games, and would I then need a step-down converter or something to power it?


How easy/hard is it to just chip the fuck out of a UK one and run all my backups (once I buy the Japanese copies) off an HDD?


Any advice much appreciated because I'm dead keen to play Akai Katana and Muchi Muchi Pork and Mushihimesama Futari Black Label 1.5 and Pink Sweets.

Consignia

It's not a region free console, so you are stuck with importing an actual Japanese console. Region locking was optional, but most Japanese games did enforce the lock. I don't know where the best place to get one is; I got mine from Play Asia years ago, but that was whilst they were still in production. Apparently chipping/modding is a bit of a ballache, too. Second hand is probably the best bet, but I guess ebay is the only place really.

However, if you do get a Japanese console, just replace the power brick with local one. They use the same plugs and stuff, so you don't need a voltage converter like previous console generations needed.

Thanks for the insights and info. Having run the comparisons of what I can and can't get region free and on various regional XB digital marketplaces, I'm missing out on very little and the biggest names that I'd need a JPN 360 for are already pretty much perfect in FBAlpha emulation. The only thing genuinely missing will be Mushihimesama HD but given that Mushihimesama Futari Black Label is available region free, and it's meant to be better in every way, I'm not actually missing anything. I've got a 2nd hand console coming my way and I'll look forward to getting stuck in.

Consignia

A sound decision, nearly everything Japanese exclusive for the 360 had had updated versions on region free platforms, so your only really going to need one if your an absolute completionist. If emu caters for you, all the less need.

madhair60


It's impossible to emulate these later Cave shmups on MAME without a really good computer and they still run badly/inaccurately/not at all in some cases. Maybe one day I'll get a desktop again but a 360 is much cheaper and much better for all I want it for.

madhair60


HAHA LEGEND

CAN'T BUY XBOX 360 GAMES DIGITAL ANY MORE HAHAH

WHAT A FUCKING WASTE OF MONEY AND ENERGY AND TIME HAHAHAAHA

Jumpin on my fast green bike now and drivin in front of anythin BIGGGG


OK sorted it and playing Muchi Muchi Pork now great

Consignia

The only flump I had for my Japanese 360 was Otomedius. Those games aren't really for me, but it was a pretty fun game.

Actually come to think of it, I think I had a Strike Witches game which was a shmup too, but I don't think it was as hardcore.

I've heard decent things about Otomedius but it's not region free, unfortunately. Thinking now I might just RGH this and get whatever I want (legally, on disc).

Wasted literally two days trying to run my 360 through a fuckin VPN to buy some shite shooting thing off the Hong Kong shop. Absolute little cunter. It's finally downloading but at 1% every three minutes. Previous time it failed at 99%. I dunno why I'm even bothering, they're all the same just different degrees of gross character designs and the exact same gameplay and they cost a million quid which I don't have after I ran that pub into the ground in four days.

That said, Espgaluda 2 is an utterly spectacular game and well worth the $159HK dollars I paid for it which is about fifteen quid. eBay is saying ninety quid plus customs charges so worth the trauma in the end. Literally spent an entire weekend doing that. It's so stimulating though, it makes me feel alive and in the zone. It's like that Tetris cleaning up satisfaction and intense concentration flow but like you've injected Skittles and the colours and explosions are burning straight into your brain. I guess that's why I find most games a boring waste of time these days because how the hell can some walking around game compare to the sensory overload of, I dunno, this:





On the other hand, these games are basically dead and the genre is being kept afloat barely by indie developers  Some fantastic games out there still and obviously I'm getting to play some of these all timers only now in 2019 but it's one hell of a row of hurdles to get there. It's also quite sad really that hardly anyone is into shmups or bullet hell or any of this stuff though I do appreciate the little community that still celebrates these games. The YT channel STG Weekly is an absolutely invaluable resource of information and enthusiasm and joy and laughter and the utter zenith of nerd thinking and lifestyles but so what? These nerds are having fun and they're not being dicks about it ,just enjoying the patterns and scoring systems and the grotesque character designs unfortunately  That's the only thing and another reason I can't share these games with my mates because I'd need to explain the moe bollocks when if you just skip past it til the game, these are absolutely sensational experiences.