Indie Dreamcast games roundup – Sturmwind, Redux, NEO XYX & Pier Solar

As the year draws to a close, as a Dreamcast fan I always like to look back on the indie Dreamcast titles that were released and announced in 2012. While the start of the 2012 looked great for indie Dreamcast fans, it ended up being a less than stellar year. Sturmwind, published by redspotgames and developed by Duranik, was meant to have a release in the second quarter of 2011. But manufacturing delays lead to a November 11th, 2011 release date. However, according to redspotgames ,the release date had been postposed yet again “due to difficulties with the CD factory”. As such, the release date changed to some time in 2012. Now, just a few weeks before 2013, the game has yet to be released and the latest update from redspotgames is that they “decided to work on the game even more. So the weapon system and the HUD has been improved.” A better game is always great, but in my opinion a year and a half delay is uncalled for. Those who put money down for a pre-order are sure to be angry at redspotgames by this point. Which is a shame, given their past high quality efforts including the awesome Wind & Water Puzzle Battles and Rush Rush Rally Racing.

Another game that has seen a delay is the Kickstarter funded sequel to Dux, Redux: Dark Matters. However, unlike Sturmwind, I am far more positive towards this delay. Funded in June of this year, and intended for a December 2012 release, the game has apparently been shifted to TBA 2013. The reason? While the 60k stretch goal was not reached, project lead René Hellwig wants to add the extra stage “Dark Planet”. As a project backer, I’m all for this addition, given that the 60k goal was not even met, yet we’ll still be getting some of the content promised for the 60k level. The other addition that was promised if the project hit 60k was 2-player support, however it doesn’t look like this will be added. Despite missing the December 2012 release, backers will be given a beta demo of the game before the end of the year.

NG:DEV.TEAM is the clear winner of 2012. They successfully released the awesome Gunlord in June, as promised, and even announced a new game for 2013! The new game is titled NEO XYX, and while yes it is another shmup, it looks to promise a lot of cool features. The game is described as a “maniac shooting game” and is said to be “the first NEOGEO game ever with a true vertical scrolling screen”. Features include 6 stages with varied and colorful settings, 6 endbosses, midbosses, 16-bit hand-drawn graphics, switchable between vertical and horizontal controls, and multiple modes. The number of midbosses and modes depends on the amount of money they make on pre-orders. So hit the NG:DEV.TEAM store for a limited edition or a collector edition package of the game.

2012 also saw the funding of another Kickstarter indie Dreamcast game project: Pier Solar HD. Pier Solar began as an indie Genesis/Mega Drive project, and following the Genesis/Mega Drive version’s release the team has shifted focus to XBOX 360, PC, Mac, Linux & Dreamcast. The Kickstarter was fully funded earlier this month, and stretch goals were met, so now fans can look forward to: a Japanese translation, Dreamcast extras including VMU goodies, and a director’s cut of the game. If you weren’t a project backer, you can pre-order the game now for a 2013 release date. The price is $50, you select the package style you want (Japanese, European or American) and the game is region free.

Overall, 2012 wasn’t nearly as great as it could have been when it comes to releases, as only one title actually released. However that title, Gunlord, was one of the best indie Dreamcast games in a long while. We also saw the announcement of an indie RPG, and Redux got delayed for the better. The loser of 2012 is Sturmwind. Long delays and little communication with fans has hurt what was a hotly anticipated game.

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19 responses to “Indie Dreamcast games roundup – Sturmwind, Redux, NEO XYX & Pier Solar

  1. DCGX says:

    Good write-up Barry! Thanks for keeping us up on all the new Dreamcast games news. It’s still crazy to think four games are coming out (hopefully) within the next year for the system.

    • You’re welcome! Yeah, 2012 would have been sweet with Sturmwind, Gunlord and Redux. But if redspotgames can get their shit together, 2013 could be very awesome with Pier Solar, Sturmwind, Redux and NEO XYX. An RPG and three shmups: one a vertical Neo Geo title, one made especially for the Dreamcast and one a sequel to a past game.

    • cube_b3 says:

      Don’t forget Dynamite Dreams and Scourge.

  2. cube_b3 says:

    Hey Barry,

    It looks like your the editor in chief of the site now. All I see are posts from you :).

    Sturmwind was postponed for a fall release to improve the game. Production delays came in November only. RSG basically lost the means to publish games without a Disk Manufactured. There is a 99% chance it would come out this year.

    Other than that only Gun-Lord was supposed to come out, this year.

    Your article feels more like a preview for 2013.

    • Hey cube, I’m no editor in chief, just a mod/admin/writer. 🙂

      Regardless of the reasons, RSG really f***ed up with Sturmwind. I’m not going to feel sympathy for them, I just want them to straighten things out.

      Article is both a look back at 2012 (Gunlord, Kickstarter campaigns, Sturmwind delay, NEO XYX announcement) and a look forward to 2013 (all the announcements made this year for 2013 games). 🙂

    • cube_b3 says:

      While your points are valid.

      Max has been a mentor to me, so I have to defend him a little.

      * Pre-orders can easily be cancelled.
      * He has apologized for the delay and has stated that manufacturing wasn’t in his control.
      * Duranik has been pragmatic with the delay and have continued developing the game (a new trailer will show you all the new features).
      * The game has arrived and is in testing, if all goes well the game should start shipping soon.

  3. Centrale says:

    That Pier Solar HD image is kind of embarrassing to look at. Regarding the (stupid, spherical) breasts, that shoelace-like cord would not adhere to the cleavage, it would just stretch straight across from point to point. This has been a breast reality check. Now back to, err, anything else.

  4. CurtyTheJerkface says:

    When I read the words indie and Dreamcast I know to expect the word shmup. Here’s to hoping beautiful Pier Solar HD starts a trend.

  5. eXtaticus says:

    It’s so awesome to see that there are still great Dreamcast games being released, even now. 🙂

  6. -nSega54- says:

    I have to say, that 1st Sturmwind image looks really cool visually.

  7. Grant says:

    Jaysus, obviously the Dreamcast is still going as strong, four titles compared to just two in 2006, not bad.
    It’s always brilliant to hear about the Dreamcast here, any Dreamcast news at all.

    Though, what about SEGA themselves, they don’t seem to have much of a line up set for the future, they just seem to be hanging about, aside from the recent classic re-releases from the Model 2 Sega Arcade console board, they haven’t really done anything big.

    Why can’t they do something like Ubisoft did, with excellent games like Assassin’s Creed III and Far Cry 3, would be excellent if Sega could bring games like that out as well as their classics.

    • DCGX says:

      I think the reason we don’t see games like that from SEGA is that they don’t have the capital to fund such AAA games.

    • Grant says:

      So basically Ubisoft, is actually a bigger company than Sega now?

      How Sega has truly fallen, not only did they lose their place in the hardware stakes, but now they aren’t even a big third party company able to rival Ubisoft.

      I thought Sega would have by now been doing good as a third party 11 years later, obviously it seems to closer to the opposite now.

      Sega is really just surviving rather than operating as a company then it seems.

    • DCGX says:

      Ubisoft has been much, much bigger than SEGA for many years now. Yes SEGA is surviving more than thriving. Blame Sammy, blame a rash of medicore games after the first wave of third party offerings, blame mismanagement. There’s a bevy of reasons.

      My personal hope with SEGA re-releasing so much, including Dreamcast games, that a new interest will garner enough support to make new installments and possibly new franchises.

    • Lenticular Leo says:

      Sadly, there isn’t really a lot of point in Sega now, what made them as big as they got in the first place is the Arcades, then it was Sonic, but Sega has never matched Sonic’s success since, now the Arcades, Sega’s main original territory is dead and has been for a while now, Sonic is all they’ve got and aside from the last two Sonic games, they’ve been getting shitter and shitter.

      Sega was only really good when they made their own consoles, too bad that they couldn’t market things correctly even though they used to be great, we’ve never seen them match the same quality in their third party guise,

      I’ve seen many ex-Sega employees and they all say the same thing, that you need to remember that Sega is a very different company now from it’s original self and only a fraction of what it used to be.

      These are some reasons they’ve went they way they did, they still exist, but just a mere shadow of their former self.
      People used to say when they got out of their console business that they would be unstoppable, as their software would be on every platform and there would be no barriers for Sega games anymore, but instead they’ve gotten more mediocre, not all, but more than you would expect from Sega.

      But yes, they are still around, surviving and getting by, just not brilliantly as we’d all like.

  8. Some Guy says:

    Apparently Senile Team is also working on a new game.

  9. redspotgames says:

    Thanks for the summary.

    However, some corrections:

    Sturmwind wasn’t announced for “some time in 2012”, but it’s release date has been set to TBA.

    Also, there has been no need to pay for the pre-order. We always pointed out that there is no need to pay for the pre-order (e.g. press releases, announcements, FAQ, within the redspotgames online shop etc.). For everyone who is angry about his / her payment, should contact the redspotgames customer support asap, so a previous made payment can be refunded: http://www.redspotgames.com/support
    Despite other Dreamcast developers, we’re not financing our games before it’s release with the money of our customers, but from our own budget.

    Finally, the changes in the HUD, weapon system etc. has been finished quite a while ago and it not the current state of the project itself.

    As communicated through newsletter, Facebook and Twitter, the game has been sent to the CD factory a month ago and we’ve produced test CD-ROMs we’re currently evaluating.

    It’s pretty close to completion.

    Merry Christmas and relaxing holidays! 🙂

  10. Be very careful about ordering games from Redspotgames.

    I pre-ordered and prepaid 131,00 euro in December 2011 for the games Sturmwind and Fast striker.

    The company ran into trouble for the production of Sturmwind but pretended to have solved the problems and put on a so called release date of April 24th.

    They also promised delivery for Europeans withing two weeks.

    Many people including me have not received anything. The company no longer replies to inquiries, their phone number is just hooked to an answering service and they refuse to make a refund.

    See the numerous complaints at their Facebooksite.

    Don’t say you have not been warned.

    bertrandcroft, Mechelen (Belgium)

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