Topic: Sigma Star Saga (and Shantae Advance) Hype Thread

[ruby_onix]

"Sigma Star Saga" for the GBA is the latest original game from Wayforward, the people who made "Shantae" for the GBC. It's an action-RPG with side-scrolling-shooter elements.

Small companies are cool, and the success of this game could directly affect the chances of Shantae Advance finding a publisher, so I figured giving it a thread is the least I could do.

For those who haven't read it, here's some scans from the Nintendo Power a few issues back (issue 191) where Sigma Star Saga was the focus of a 4-page Epic Center article.

Page 1, page 2, page 3, and page 4.

Then if you want, there's also this sidebar (from issue 193) where NP plugs both Sigma Star Saga and Shantae Advance, and an advertisement that Namco took out in the same issue.

Enjoy!

[KDR_11k]

"WayForward" reminds me of Dirk Gently...

Sounds nice so far. Let's see how it turns out.

[Mario]

Holy crap, that woman has GIANT PANTS!

Yeah, this game looks decent, could be fun.

[KDR_11k]

Hey, perhaps she's Mrs. Pants?

[stevey]

is it any good? I saw it in np and it look cool and did it come out yet?

[TMW]

Yeah...I was stoked when I first heard about this game.  A combination of two very awesome genres, that actually could go together without major suckage involved.  

I have no idea when it comes out.  

[ruby_onix]

Here's Namco's official website.

http://sigmastarsaga.namco.com/index.php

According to NamcoTara on the site's forums, the release date is 8/16, which means it will be in most stores on 8/18.

BTW, they also mention on the forums that they're currently holding a contest. You can download a .PSD with sprites from the game, and use them to make AIM buddy icons for the forums. They'll pick the ones they like the best and send the winners random autographed things. The contest closes when SSS ships. It's only open to USA residents though, which rules me out.

[KDR_11k]

Also I wonder how balancing will be handled, I can imagine some combinations being totally overpowered...

[stevey]

I don't have Photoshop were can you download it for free?

[couchmonkey]

Yeah, I'm definitely looking forward to this game.  I'm going to wait for some reviews but I'm pretty confident I'll be buying it.  The GBA and DS are really stepping up to the plate...I don't have enough time to play all these games!

[ruby_onix]

Quote
I don't have Photoshop were can you download it for free?

You mean the PSD with the sprites?

Here, I converted it into a PNG-8. It's obviously not every sprite in the game. If there was anything else in the PSD, I didn't notice it.

Although if you don't have Photoshop, you're still going to need some sort of image editing program to make use of these.

(If you meant that you want to download Photoshop, I can't help you there. You can try the Gimp or something. It's freeware. I think their website is here.)

[Blackknight131]

Ruby, I checked out the thread you linked in the first post, are those your samples one user posted in there?

If so...thanks. I may change my own avatar to one of 'em ^__^
After playing Shantae I have to say I really look forward to Wayforward's original projects. Super-cool art, too.  

[ruby_onix]

Nah, I didn't make any of those. I just made the 100x100 avatar I'm using. Any other similarities just come down to using the same sprites that Wayforward put out.

[KDR_11k]

The GIMP can import PSD files just fine. No need for Photoshop.

[couchmonkey]

Well, I didn't wait for reviews after all.  I picked up Sigma Star Saga last week, thinking it might be hard to find soon, and it's definitely cool.

Bad: I'm not happy with the story so far.  In particular, the characters are not very likeable.  They all have too much attitude, and the main character's reactions often seem out of character.  One minute he hates someone, the next minute he has the hots for her.  Still, the plot offers some intrigue, so it's not all bad.

Good: The gameplay is fun and unique.  The land sections remind me a lot of Secret of Mana, not quite as sharp as Zelda, but still good.  The shooter sections are what really spices things up.  I was disappointed in the controls in the first shooter section of the game, they seemed pretty sluggish, but the current ships I'm using seem better and this being an RPG, I bet/hope that the ships will become even faster as I earn experience.