Classic Game Room - BATSUGUN for Sega Saturn review 

I usually hear that this game was origin of what started the bullet-hell shooter sub-genre and was the inspiration for the Donpachi - Dodonpachi series.

+SonGara There are a few good reasons why shooters end up fetching relatively high prices. Shooting games are very repayable, especially if you are aiming for a one credit clear (1CC). A 1CC is when you are aiming to complete an entire game (or a single loop) within one credit, usually with default arcade settings. This goal can take anywhere from a couple months to many years. It's important to note, also, that there is still quite an active community of people aiming to achieve a high score on many of these games, which naturally will take even longer than the coveted 1CC. People who enjoy shooters are willing to pay what these games are going for, and this is because people who enjoy shooters are usually either playing for score, or that 1CC. Let me assure you that if you are interested in vertical shooters, the price you may pay for Batsugun is absolutely warranted, especially if you are just getting into the genre. In my opinion, it is the perfect game for someone excited to get into shmupping, as it has a simple scoring mechanic, a forgiving difficulty, and a taste of what makes both modern bullet hells fun, as well as the tried and true formula of the 90s arcade classics. Batsugun will keep you entertained for many, many hours, granted you are willing to put up with some of the potentially frustrating tenants of arcade gaming. If you want to get your money's worth from Batsugun, be prepared to spend a lot of time doing the same thing. It may sound repetitive, in theory, but you will actually spend much of your time improving each time you play. This is a VERY rewarding feeling. Many people unfamiliar with arcade gaming may feel the impulse to "credit feed" until the end. While there is no wrong way to have fun, this is a bit misguided. Challenge yourself and really go for that 1CC. This is, admittedly, not for everyone. But I can't stress enough: the rewarding feeling of achieving a 1CC is something special. If you are still interested in getting into shooters, but you're not quite ready to break the bank for Batsugun, try out Donpachi or Strikers 1945. Niether are quite as well suited to a beginner (especially Strikers), but they should serve as an indication of if the genre suits you. I hope that answers your question!

+lightsouthaha +SonGara The main factor for Saturn shmups increased value has to do with the limited options for playing these games. For example, the reason Batsugun's value is so expensive is that the only other way to play this game arcade-perfect is to spend $999 on the arcade PCB (which will require another $500+ for a supergun setup) and emulation is still broken, so the Saturn version actually comes out cheaper and then some. I bought my copy back in 2009 for $79, now I can resell it for 3x that because there is still a demand for arcade-perfect, non-emulated Saturn ports.

lightsouthaha Wow, man! Well said, you nailed it. Myself, personally, I am 75% collector/25% player these days so I have no desire to put my games back on the market. I am not looking to get rich or cash out, I just like knowing when I get the itch for some classic '90's 2D arcade action I can scratch it. I came up on the arcade scene and remember being in love with the Saturn back in the '90's, but lacked the funds and resources to get these games.

lightsouthaha Naaah, chief, you didn't lose me, I just think we're in an era where it feels weird to look at games we grew up on as "high-dollar" collectibles when, to us, they're just GAMES.

lightsouthaha I'm sorry about the housefire, chief. I didn't mean for it to come off like I was bragging about Batsugun, and I totally get your earlier point about the intrinsic value of shmups vs. what the use market is valuing them at these days. For example, Radiant Silvergun is a bad joke. I tell people all the time NOT to buy that game on eBay if they want to play it. That game is soooooo overrated and its a shame the market has not corrected itself to reflect that. Not only that, but it is emulated to a playable degree, and its on Xblive and whathaveyou. Even back in the day when people were saying it was "oh-so-rare", I was calling bullshit on it. It is not rare because it had a low print run-it is rare because sellers bought up a bunch of them, and released them back to the market at inflated prices. That shit pisses me off, greedy assholes who manipulate the market to jack up the prices for used games, and I am not the type to just call someone greedy.

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