Stretch Panic

[figgler]

I found this sealed for $10 (Canadian) and grabbed it knowing nothing. I've played it a bit, finshed the first 2 bosses, but I'm not so sure I like it.

I bought it solely because it's developed by Treasure and it looked very different from the other games in my collection. I just don't know....

Anyone have comments or experience with this game? Is she a keeper?

[tiggerthehun]

I hated every minute of it...

[PaulEMoz]

It's utterly weird. I like the art style, but I'm finding it hard to get into the game.

[msaeger]

I like the style but it's more of a tech demo than a game. The whole game is just the boss battles and some practice area.

[spacecadet]

I like the style but it's more of a tech demo than a game. The whole game is just the boss battles and some practice area.

 

In fact it was originally a tech demo. It was stretched out (no pun intended) into a full game.

 

Treasure's PS2 games are definitely not their best - the only other one I know of is Silpheed. I have Stretch Panic and am keeping it because it's actually one of the less common PS2 games and I'm also something of a Treasure fan, but yeah, it's not their best game by any means.

[PaulEMoz]

I like the style but it's more of a tech demo than a game. The whole game is just the boss battles and some practice area.

 

In fact it was originally a tech demo. It was stretched out (no pun intended) into a full game.

 

Treasure's PS2 games are definitely not their best - the only other one I know of is Silpheed. I have Stretch Panic and am keeping it because it's actually one of the less common PS2 games and I'm also something of a Treasure fan, but yeah, it's not their best game by any means.

 

Gradius V!!!!!!!!

 

Gradius V!!!!!!!!

 

GRADIUS V!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Best game of last year for me.

[spacecadet]

Gradius V!!!!!!!!

 

Gradius V!!!!!!!!

 

GRADIUS V!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Best game of last year for me.

 

Oops, I forgot about that. Haven't played it myself... but yeah, it looks pretty good.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

I also just got Stretch Panic for Christmas. Actually I knew I was getting it, as my wife and I were shopping for my boys at Toys R Us and I saw it and a few other PS2 games I wanted in their clearance bin with green tags. All of this during the %50 off sale...so I got it for like $5 I think.

 

Anyway, I like the basic storyline and think the concept is unique. But it was executed poorly. My biggest problem with the game is two things. The music isn't anything up to Treasure's usual excellent standards, the graphics aren't even up to PS2 standards (Though I heard they had to keep the polys and textures low because of the stretching bit). And I also don't like the fact that the game is just a series of boss battles. So much could have been done with this game...but they just dropped the ball on it.

 

However, that said, I believe I am one of the Minority who actually likes Silpheed. Course I loved the original I played back in '89 on my 286 clone of the day. I am curious why so many seem to dislike Silpheed? I find it difficult in many ways (But I suck at shooter games like this usually). But I reminds me in sooo many ways of Radiant Silvergun in the presentation style (Minus the Anime cutscenes).

 

Oh well..back to stretch panic. It is also an easy game. In the course of just about 2 days off and on with it...I am now at the last sister to free in the game. Just can't figure out how to knock the demon loose from her as I did with the others. One battle that is by far the most excellent and literally panics..is the sister level that is into horror stuff.

 

Stretch Panic also could have done without the enormously sized boobs on the women in the EX areas. I know it was partially the story being about Vanity and all that...but still...did they have to do that?!

[spacecadet]

However, that said, I believe I am one of the Minority who actually likes Silpheed. Course I loved the original I played back in '89 on my 286 clone of the day. I am curious why so many seem to dislike Silpheed? I find it difficult in many ways (But I suck at shooter games like this usually). But I reminds me in sooo many ways of Radiant Silvergun in the presentation style

 

Well, since I'm the one who brought up Silpheed, I'll answer this..

 

It's not that I dislike Silpheed, and I didn't say I did. I just said it's not their best game, and I really believe that. It's a really generic shooter compared to most of Treasure's shooters - I don't know if you're really into vertical shooters or not, but they're really a dime a dozen and Silpheed doesn't do much to elevate itself above the pack. I guess if you're not really into the genre as a whole it can seem similar to other Treasure shooters, because I mean it is still basically a ship travelling vertically upward and shooting everything in sight, but there's just nothing unique or innovative about Silpheed compared to other games in the genre. With Treasure so well known for doing new and different things with every release, that makes Silpheed a disappointment.

 

I think part of it's that it's not strictly a Treasure game. They didn't have complete freedom to do what they wanted; I think they just developed it for GameArts according to GameArts' specs.

 

Honestly, Radiant Silvergun, along with the aforementioned Gradius V, is one of the two Treasure games I have never played (it's too expensive to buy these days) but I have played all of their other games. If you compare Silpheed to, say, Ikaruga, it's really like night and day. It's like two games from two different developers. I don't know if Radiant Silvergun is more like Ikaruga than Silpheed or not (I know some people these days feel RS is a bit overrated, but that could basically be sour grapes), but all of Treasure's other original games - from Gunstar Heroes to Bangaioh to Silhouette Mirage to Guardian Heroes to Ikaruga to Sin and Punishment - have done new things in their respective genres that we really haven't seen before. I don't think the execution in Silpheed was bad, I just think it was boring and generic, which is really not something you can usually say about Treasure games.

 

Treasure's kind of an odd developer in that they seem to have two categories of projects - a) projects they produce for the love of the game, and b) projects they produce to make money. For every original Treasure-developed game, there's a Tiny Toon Adventures or a McDonald's Treasureland Adventure. I honestly would put Silpheed into the latter category for them - I think it was something they did under contract with GameArts in order to finance their own games down the line. So I don't think they put quite as much effort into it and I don't think they had as much freedom to do what they wanted anyway.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Might be correct on the freedom part. But then that also makes sense. Afterall, Gamearts created Silpheed...and to be honest, Lost Planet doesn't really remind me of the old Silpheed at all...different enemies for the most part...different patterns of attach..and none of the bosses are like the original was.

 

One thing I miss about Lost Planet and wished they had done..was to recreate some of the levels where you were actually fighting inside a base..like on the original game. Those were tough and lots of fun!

 

But Silpheed reminds me a lot of Radiant in how the ingame presentation is handled. Basically same perspective...the SA-77 flys in and out similar to Radiants Silverguns...and the bosses are also brought in the same way. The music and overall play style is just very similar. More so in fact than Ikaruga is...I like Ikaruga also...but find is very difficult. I can't get past the stage 3 boss...

 

Silpheed I am near the end ...I think...and stuck on the boss that is actually your refuling ship when it mutates and all that...I can't seem to quite get past it...

 

Now stretch panic does feel like a huge rush job to me. Besides the main title theme music. None of the other music tracks are in the least memorable. Also the control is absolutely horrible...it would be better if the camera were faster...and if there were more control over the camera in some way. Finally as i stated before...the bosses are cool and all..but there is simply no variety what so ever in the EX levels. Differently levels and textures..but same enemies (Chubby looking women with very abnormal breasts...). You attack all the enemies in virtually the same way.

The only innovative one is the horror loving sister I mentioned earlier...

 

But, I still don't regret getting the game...it is fun romp from time to time at least...and some of the graphics are pretty to look at...plus some of the deformities on the sisters is just very art like and strange..I like that.

 

But, your right...Stretch Panic, just doesn't feel like a Treasure game at all...

[sega saturn x]

Ive seen it at alot of game stored for around 8 bucks. Never picked it up because i dont trust any of the newer treasure games i think ikuraga was awsome and so was guardian heros but thats about where it ends. I never got why all the hardcore gamers loved them so mutch they made a few good games but they are few and far between.

[spacecadet]

Never picked it up because i dont trust any of the newer treasure games i think ikuraga was awsome and so was guardian heros but thats about where it ends.  I never got why all the hardcore gamers loved them so mutch they made a few good games but they are few and far between.

 

Dude:

 

http://www.the-nextlevel.com/features/deve...ure/games.shtml

 

Add Gradius V and Ikaruga to that (that list is a year or so out of date).

 

Not every game is great but here are the ones that I'd say are:

 

Gunstar Heroes

Alien Soldier

Dynamite Headdy

Guardian Heroes

Radiant Silvergun (I'm including this for its rep, though I haven't played it; I just can't believe it's so famous without being good)

Silhouette Mirage (the Japanese Saturn version; Working Designs made some changes to the US PSX release)

Sin and Punishment

Bangaioh

Ikaruga

 

Probably add Gradius V to that list too, from what I've heard.

 

There are also several good but not great games, such as Wario World and Dragon Drive.

 

Treasure's hardly a one-hit wonder. They've made some seriously innovative, seriously crazy and seriously fun games. And unlike a lot of developers these days, they don't just keep pumping out the same game over and over with a different number at the end of the title (in other words, sequels). I'd say they're probably the most creative developer out there.

 

My personal faves are probably Bangaioh, Sin and Punishment and Ikaruga. Each one of those is just nuts; non-stop action with a totally unique style.