Terra Cresta II questions

[retrodelee]

How hard is it to simply get a loose copy?  What is the price range I'm looking at in order to add that to my collection?




Thanks

[nat]

I paid $70 for a brand new copy, and that seems to be pretty "low" compared to most online sources. I've seen it go for $80 to $199 used on ePay.

You'll probably fare better looking for a loose copy, however, although I'm not sure what to tell you to expect.

[SuperDeadite]

Here in Osaka stores about $40-50 loose, $60-80 complete.

[Tatsujin]

wow..more expensive as up here in tokyo

[retrodelee]

Sweet!  I got one on the way....

I was watching an auction on ebay.  I ended up with 4 games... 3 of which I needed:  Terra Cresta II (Loose), Legend of Hero Tonma, Vigilante, and Beball (the last three with the instructions/jewel cases)...

Less than $45 shipped! 



I'm happy!  I get to replace a Hero Tonma I sold a while back when I had about 20 PCE hucards and said "I'll never collect the japanese games... ewww"

(Now look at me!)

[nat]

$45 for a loose cart, I take it?

[retrodelee]

$45 shipped for all four of the games....

I think that is a pretty good price.  $11.25 a game!

  So I basically picked up a Terra Cresta II for the same price I got a Gradius for.  I can't complain.  Thankfully I didn't spend $125 one time when it was offered to me.

[Sinistron]

How does TCII fare in comparison to the higher eschalon of pc-engine overhead cart shooters- like say Soldier Blade, SSS, Gunhed, Image Fight (hey I love it) and TwinBee?

[nat]

Better than Twinbee, certainly better than SSS, probably on par with Image Fight. Graphics are much better than Image Fight, more on par with Soldier Blade, Final Soldier, etc. Nice parallax (not gratuitous) on many levels.

The music is good, although it sounds very "simple" at first. I like to say the music in this game sounds like what you would get if you crossed an NES sound chip with a Genesis sound chip. The tunes themselves are f*ckin' great though, and the style definitely grows on you.

I like this game a lot, personally, and it's definitely worth it for everyone to check it out.

[Sinistron]

so then I'm guessing it makes your top five for overhead shooter hucards?  Do you have a top five readily ascertainable?

[retrodelee]

I played it on my PCE Flash card... and that's why I've wanted it for a while now. 


Great game!!!

[nat]

so then I'm guessing it makes your top five for overhead shooter hucards?  Do you have a top five readily ascertainable?

No, it wouldn't be in my top 5. Top 10, maybe. There are so many shooters for the Turbo that anything in my top 15 is probably worth checking out for any shooter fan.

Choosing a top 5 list is extremely tough but it might look something like this, in no particular order:

Sapphire
Download
Psychosis
Air Zonk
Gunhed/Blazing Lazers

I'm noticing after typing that that all but one of those games are cartridge games. Go figure. That list is by no means definitive, and my "real" top 5 probably fluctuates a bit every day. A top 10 would be far easier, and perhaps more telling. Again, not in any order:

Sapphire
Download
Psychosis
Air Zonk
Gunhed/Blazing Lazers
Sinistron
Gate of Thunder
Final Soldier
Star Parodia
Fantasy Zone

Looks like Terra Cresta didn't make it. It's top 15 material for sure, though. Also, I personally consider Space Harrier to be in a league of it's own, but if you consider it a traditional shooter feel free to replace any of those top 5 titles with Space Harrier as it's probably the best game ever made. The Turbo version isn't as good as the original, but it's damn close.

Keep in mind also I haven't played every shooter available on the system. I recently picked up Nexzr on recommendation from runinruder, and as I play into that one a bit it may find it's place in the top 10 one day.

[Sinistron]

well I said only overhead hucard shmups- so only
Gunhed and
Final Soldier qualify!
TCII could still make your list after all...
you really put Final Soldier above Soldier Blade?  is it the weapon variety that floats your boat?

[nat]

well I said only overhead hucard shmups

Oops, guess I missed that part. In that case, TCII definitely would make the top 5.

you really put Final Soldier above Soldier Blade?  is it the weapon variety that floats your boat?

Weapon variety and music. Final Soldier has the best music of the entire series, hands down. Also the best levels in FS (4-7, I think) are better than the best levels in Soldier Blade. Stage 5 is a straight homage to the original Gunhed. I like being able to use the options as smartbombs. Beyond that, nothing in Soldier Blade touches the awesomeness of the mechanical eagle boss in Stage 4.

Soldier Blade has slightly better graphics, and a more even-keel quality throughout. It also has the Arcade screen mode which is a big plus for me. But the music isn't as good and as I indicated above, the gameplay doesn't do quite as much for me. It just missed making my top 10 shooters, probably would've been #11.