ATTENTION Treasure Fans! New Japanese Indie Shoot Em' Up Grand Cross ReNOVATION Review

[@ShmupJunkie]

I just played this game for the first time the other day for an upcoming video too on new games for 2022, and also really enjoyed it. Like you I thought it was quite easy and after getting the hang of the controls over the first 2-3 stages, I pretty much ran it no death the rest of the way until the final stage or boss. On my first ever playthrough. So as cool as it is I agree it needs some harder mode options. It’s got the Treasure vibe for sure but nowhere near the complexity of RSG or the difficulty of Ikaruga. Which is a good thing. Like you said it’s great for entry level players and just needs some juicier modes for the more experienced.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah playing 💯 risk guage does add some extra challenge, but the base difficulty needs to be higher with a new mode

[@ianjacka469]

My kinda game, lol.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Just a quick point of clarification, the press kit for this game lists "Henteko Doujin" as the developer of this game, and this is the only game they list on the press release or that I could find on their social media. But it turns out that this is the publisher and the developer is actually Raynex, who has a more extensive history as a developer and previous projects.

[@rxzero00]

Henteko Doujin also published Supercharged Robot Vulkaiser which is a pretty fun shoot em up that I can never beat.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

@@rxzero00 well slap me silly, the press kit lists this as their only game ha. Whoever is in marketing is really not understanding what a press kit is ha

[@rxzero00]

@@TheElectricUnderground You're probably right about marketing. Usually marketers are not really fans so they just generally market a product in what they think it should be sold on without going too much in detailed. You should try out Vulkaiser, it's kinda unique for a horizontal shoot em up and a bit hard even on Normal difficulty.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

@@rxzero00 sounds cool!

[@Jbrodack]

@@rxzero00 they took over publishing games from Nyu Media who went out of business. They publish all the ASTRO PORT games how.

[@michaelhoule2134]

This reminds me of sister skains Alltyanx second weapons in a way. Big aimable beam weapon, melee weapon, weapon power tied to a level gauge... Seems kinda interesting I'll wait until a steam sale to pick it up.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah I can see that!

[@Renegaiden_]

@@TheElectricUnderground speaking of Siter Skain, have you ever reviewed their Tale of Altynex games?

[@jamesiewalters2360]

@@Renegaiden_ i'm still waiting on their next work....

[@zampano8217]

Funnily enough you can unlock the ship from Kamui and it has the full set of mechanics from that game 🙂

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Posting a comment of MrJBRPG (KZbin keeps censoring it) "STG builder games have also been brought onto other platforms like Nintendo Switch with Dezatopia and Exa Arcadia with Infinos Exa. Exa Arcadia is intent on supporting the very niche game engines like Beats of Rage and Fighter Maker in addition to the major ones. exa.ac/en/about "

[@JohnshiBRPG]

Thanks for posting that comment. With STG builder capable of pushing high resolution graphics, it makes one of those niche engines more appealing to make focused games.

[@hooksnfangs6006]

Big lasers? Check! SWORDS?! DOUBLE CHECK!! 😆 Despite flaws that you pointed out and some FG/BG & bullet visual issues, it's a great unique SHMUP. After getting the hang of controlling the laser, it feels great to zip the lazer around destroying enemies and bullets. And sword ship is just... amazing lol. Not a SHMUP I'd sink crazy hours into, but one I'll return to when I want to experience its visual spectacle paired with its amazing OST.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

yes a great assessment! can't go wrong with some big old lasers and swords ha

[@krushalstg6147]

STGBuilder exports to Switch (and Linux & Mac?) I believe. Dezatopia was made in STGBuilder and released on those platforms. Official English support was added in recent betas, but still a lack of detailed documentation.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

That s interesting! I've heard to make that happen though they had to import those games into game maker, do you know if that s true?

[@verstraetenandre]

+1 for the "stop giving us pastel non threatening low poly cute pixar graphics"! Kids don't want that, kids want mOaR explosions, heads blown up, tons of blood! At least, well... when i was a kid, it was like that! Redneck rampage, mortal Kombat, doom... Cute, at the time, meant "for my sister"! :p

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Helllll yes!

[@hendrihendri3939]

I love how Siter Skain actually supports this game With the Kamui update And apparently, the Alltynex Fighter has always been there from day 1 (Le-Sword fighter) *God i love seeing Kamui on HD texture*

[@RuV9999]

8:40 i think Soukyugurentai/terra diver already done this with zoom in zoom out aspect

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah I meant that I think it should start becoming more standard for 16 9 shmups across the board

[@superroboted]

Actually Thunder Force V did the whole mech thing too in later stages

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Oh that s really cool!

[@LittleBigKid707b]

Ahhh man. You got me excited. Thought it was that Treasure video you talked about making a little while ago. I would love to see one from you that goes into some depth on the company and games. Hands down, one of the best, if not THE BEST companies ever for action game fans. Please make this happen someday. I know you will do it justice!

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Absolutely!!! Def on my list of to do topics

[@DrFrancisDashwood]

Excellent review as always! As far as the name goes, from my understanding the reason its called ReNOVATION is because it is a renovation of an older version of the game that Raynex developed. I read this on a translated tweet from them so it might be a little misconstrued, but that was my reading of it.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Ha yeah I can see how it makes sense in context, it s just a little funny to say out loud :-) it s not a big deal I just like poking fun a bit at game titles

[@n1rvash]

no idea if you have played it yet, but the extra ship is an alternate version of the kirisame blade ship featured in graze counter, i'm sure you will find it interesting if you haven't seen it yet

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yes I have graze counter! I just need to play it ha

[@then1533]

Great review.Its interesting to see devs grapple with 16:9 and I agree this one is pretty successful at it, however it is a move away from the smaller field of gameplay I enjoy so much. I wonder if it is the future, exploiting tech that wasn't around before or if it's just fashion that is dictating these modes to some extent.Too early to tell yet IMHO.Maybe there is an acclimatisation process that players need to undergo to appreciate the new parameters available .I gotta admit that initially I wasn't a massive fan of Battle tTaverses scale and size but it grew on me quickly.That game works so well though because it's horizontal I think..

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Traverse also works well because the sprites are enlarged they, they bring back that up close and personal design of 4:3 :-)

[@PastaPerpetrator]

The boss at 11:11 is literally just one of the bosses from Recca and another I’ve seen more than once is a mecha eerily similar to Duoss

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah I heard it has been inspired by recca in some ways, I need to check that game out soon :-)

[@JoJaDaRu]

This and Rolling Gunner are two modern favorites for me and while I’ve been watching you for a while now I have to stop and say thanks this time. The kind of games I love don’t get much press so I really appreciate what you’re doing and how it helps me navigate what to buy. Cheers.

[@lordbacon4972]

Great review! I want to like this game, but I'm having a hard time seeing things clearly. I don't know whether it's the style or the coloring (most likely a combination of both) but the game difficulty shouldn't be due to having a hard time seeing. In the scenes where there's a lot going on (explosions, enemy fire, your fire, background) it's hard to clearly see what's happening because all those effects seem to blur together. In this sense I prefer graphics that are 'cleaner/crisper', less blurry, and more distinguishable. I dunno how else to describe it, maybe it's a matter of refinement or polish? Anyhow, all the other features you mentioned sound great and if this game came out on console (Switch!) that would be awesome!

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah I can see how the effects might make it tricky to follow some of the bullet patterns and such, I think once you get a feel for how the bullets look and the shot patterns it does become easier. The first playthrough is a learning curve for that for sure

[@lordbacon4972]

@@TheElectricUnderground That's true!

[@then1533]

Have u seen the free update which adds the kamui ship and bgm?1 credit only and cool as...

[@TheElectricUnderground]

that's really cool! but it still needs a hard mode ha

[@heiner5945]

Really relate to that preference in 3d graphics (interesting comparison to nintendo). I'll even add that one of my least favorite decisions regarding 3d models is when all the objects glow in themselves, with a boom effect. Something like Sine More or Metroid Dread. I dont know why, it just looks silly to me for some reason.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Absolutely!!! It looks cheesy as hell and removes the atmosphere that s makes it feel too much like a game or cartoon

[@Helghast73]

Would defiantly purchase if it was on Xlive and more indie shumps should hit all console digital stores but there’s hope as Steam Deck approaches 😁

[@tiger8559]

Curious to know what vertizontals Treasure made other than Radiant Silvergun and maybe Silpheed.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I think there is a section of it gunstar heroes on gba ha. They feature them through out their games from what I remember

[@32LY]

For me this is the best shmup 2022 !!!!! Luv this shmup !!!

[@TheElectricUnderground]

It is really cool!!!

[@notnoaintno5134]

Damn it mark, i havent even 1ccd maniac mushi yet and youve got me buying more shmups

[@TheElectricUnderground]

ha I'll take it up with management XD

[@RewdanSprites]

Whoa STG builder. Nice. Effects look awesome been meaning to pick this up for a while. This definitely has convinced me!

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah I wasn't sure before I played it, but it s great!

[@andyauthor2007]

It sounds like the controls are as bad if not worse than Astebreed. If that's the case then I'm out because I feel like I need 3 hands to control the ship in Astebreed. I didn't spend a lot of time with the game, mainly because I couldn't learn it and I got frustrated with trying to figure out how to control the ship with only 2 hands. This game looks really good but it sounds like the controls are a nightmare. Thanks for the review though.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I think they are fine and well once you get the feel for them, much like silvergun there s a bit if a learning curve but I don t think they are flawed, with great power comes great responsibility and all that ha

[@FarAwayTimesGames]

Ooooo this looks gorgeous, immediately went out and grabbed it after watching. Thanks for the review!

[@TheElectricUnderground]

No problem! Yes it is a beautiful game!!!

[@camarguess6456]

It’s a very beautiful game, but it hurts my eyes lol

[@tonyc3282]

How is your own Shmup progressing Mark?

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Very well I ve been working on it alot the past few days, keep an eye out for the public stage 1 release

[@soohz]

Brilliant video THANKS:)). I really hope the developer makes your suggested changes.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

That would be awesome!

[@VillainViran]

Gotta say, I was sold when the video opened and I saw that laser slash wiggle

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah the free aim laser is really cool

[@ronniepatterson2827]

Heck yeah! Hopefully it gets ported to PS4 soon.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah that would be great! Hopefully stg builder can do that :-)

[@reagandow850]

Absolutely AWESOME!! Physical?

[@RuV9999]

glad i bought that already. the game looks cool with slaps soundtrack but....the gameplay to me its like everything happened on the screen and i cannot read well the enemy pattern sadly and im using continue 3 times cause of this. im not even Treasure fan but this one really well done game by indie dev

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah it can take some adjustment, I recommend playing a few minutes in the tutorial mode, that s what I did

[@PedroFerreira-sx2gd]

Played the game today.l. Great props for trying something new. Haven t seen a game só graphical chaotic (in a good way, as the art Direction is amazing) with exception of Jeff Minter games. The major Turn off for me was the Gameplay and dificulty.i Started to play without paying attention to the mechanics (One thing i always do in my first Gameplay), as part of the fun is tô Discover them, and i ONLY lost 1 crédit in the begginning because i was not full aware of the energy system. The gameplay for me was repetitive. It was cicle like 1- use the laser, 2 -Run away and rest 3 -repeat step 1 and 2. Step 2 Killerd the adrenaline and was boring.plus the game does not test dodging skills as in most of the cases is easier to destróy Enemy bullets with the lasers. I never felt like a superhuman in any moment. In the end for me the game is just c+ ( sorry) , and more because of the art style, músic and Gameplay mechanics being fresh, as the Gameplay was a major Turn off

[@anthonywhittica5687]

The r type 2 final snub lmao good one

[@TheElectricUnderground]

XD how did that get in there?!

[@karpopper]

cave games often have the camera move side to side so theyre not as vertical as they seem.

[@RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS77]

Just a fun bit of trivia, but the Japanese use the English word "reform" to mean (home) renovation.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Oh very interesting!!!

[@notnoaintno5134]

Swords in shmups are always welcome

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I love it! One of the reasons I like ZR and silvergun so much ha

[@okuu_utsuho]

The ship with sword is kinda cool.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Hell yeah! It s pretty fun

[@roninomega4135]

@@TheElectricUnderground That ship is from graze counter.

[@dingo535]

This looks sick, totally overlooked this one.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah it s a fun one!!!

[@jamesiewalters2360]

question; what's the lore of the story? and fyi, the guy's not new at all; he's made 2 previous game, lemureal nova and grand cross itself. both are part of the same series so's far as i can tell.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Oh yeah I updated that in the pinned comment, story wise I have noo idea ha

[@jamesiewalters2360]

@@TheElectricUnderground dang; i'm curious as all hack.

[@ClownXmachina]

10 minutes in and you haven't mentioned "score" I hope now, you see my point about score. It's important for perfectionists but the whole package of the game is more important. The experience is what matters.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah for sure! I save the score section till the end of the vid :-)

[@gabor-toth]

I'd like to see more games like this on Xbox.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Me too! My Xbox is so lazy and just lays around all day

[@gabor-toth]

@@TheElectricUnderground Mine is full of Japanese games. 😅 But I still want more, especially shoot 'em ups.

[@stopbuyingstuff5522]

Have you heard of risk system? Looks interesting

[@TheElectricUnderground]

It is a cool system!

[@jasonburt5404]

It looks way cool. I really like treasure games. Going to have to pick this one up.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah very strong treasure vibes!

[@peace4myheart]

I hope this will get a console release bc this game looks so bad ass and fun to play.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah it would be great to see it on console!

[@oneupdawg]

A long time since I heard something new from Treasure! I sure hope this comes to PS4 and Switch, they are incredible devs.

[@lounowell4171]

This is NOT a new Treasure game, and I have no idea why Mark liked this comment without clarifying that? Really misleading.

[@IKKIsama14]

I know Andro Dunos because I'm old AF (47 next month). Also can we please have a port of Grand Cross Renovation on PS5?

[@titanforge4317]

Do you control the laser like you do in zero gunner?

[@TheElectricUnderground]

yes you can manually direct it from side to side, I think the same way that you do in zero gunner (it's been a while since I've played zero).

[@ianjacka469]

Wanna get off steam, but am skint af, and my usb 360 gamepad has just bust and my snes pad doesn't work on all steam games. And my xbox HDMI port need replacing SOON. But I've gotta kinda eat too. Looks like a neon ESCATOS, awesome. Great review dude.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Ha yeah I know the feeling!! Thanks so much no hurry to buy if you need to spend your money on life's necessities though :-)

[@ianjacka469]

@@TheElectricUnderground It's got 'partial controller support' that concerns me now I have pounds to spend.

[@ianjacka469]

I just got it really late tonight and took the risk. Not the cheapest but I like supporting the Indie scene. Can use my snes usb on it, gotta new X-box 360 usb controller coming off Amazon tomorrow. Not sure if you can can choose configuration yet as I just literally brought it. It recommends a X-box controller and my snes one has loose wires and needed replacing anyway. I'm a noob, but have improved a lot thanks to Black Belt master teacher Schump Junkie, but am still not so good. HARD mode...I wanna EASY mode, lol.

[@ianjacka469]

Partial controller good on snes pad and you can change configuration. It's quite easy for the likes of you and Schump Junkie, just cleared staage one in very sleep deprived state.

[@Lifesizemortal]

Make a Sin & Punishment clone and I'll actually be impressed

[@streetmagik3105]

Looks sweet! I'll definitely check it out.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Hell yeah!!! I ve has a lot of fun playing it :-)

[@ThunderForce222]

Ummm....So, it's basically Radiant Silvergun:Rainbow Edition.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Ha not quiet that broken ha, but yeah big damage!

[@matteste]

Some aspects of this kinda reminds me of Alltynex Second.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Absolutely!

[@jamesiewalters2360]

and actually no; from what i can gather, this is a remake of a game the guy made YEARS ago, the difference in quality is staggering; hence RE-novation

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah I updated this in the pinned comment, the press kit I was given was wrong ha. Wtf though who expects an inaccurate press kit.

[@jamesiewalters2360]

@@TheElectricUnderground tis curious; but for the life of me i can't find the music anywhere, which sucks because... well, you clearly already know why.

[@junker154]

I just waited for this video!

[@TheElectricUnderground]

That's awesome!!!

[@figamesstellarfury]

Crisis Wing = Hospital Sim game 😆

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Ha yeah I used to play some hospital sims growing up XD

[@realmiltonbradley8365]

Crisis Wing (name) reminds me of an hospital sim game 🤣🤣🤣🤣 I laughed for 3 minutes 😅😆😆😆

[@zhukov2116]

Awesome review; very in depth. It definitely looks like something I would enjoy, so thanks for bringing it to my attention. It's always so exciting to see new indie shmups come out of nowhere. I also love your description of the 'menacing' style of graphics like in Saturn or PS1 games compared to Nintendo, and I definitely prefer that style too. As far as the sound goes, well I guess it's staying in the early Guilty gear vibe of blowing your eardrums. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqe1YqJ8fbmta68

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Ha yes that s why I don t like most remasters, they just sand the edges of the models and make them drab and boring

[@krissymarklewis1793]

this looks great

[@dragongamer2670]

The Ending Turned me off for this game though.. doesn't everyone Die?

[@EMMA-GAMES]

you ruined crisis wing for me

[@TheElectricUnderground]

ha XD it's about saving lives on and off the battlefield ;-)