Valis: The Fantasm Soldier Collection Launcher

I don't get why we couldn't have just had a collection that combines everything from the Switch collections, instead we just get the first three PC-Engine games running in an emulator with the only way to watch the cutscenes with English subtitles being to watch them through the launcher via MP4 files as opposed to being able to watch them in-game like in the Switch version, what the hell happened here? The games themselves are emulated fine, no complaints there but just get the Switch collections for the time being until they (hopefully) fix these issues.

switchで発売されているCollection_vol.1の移植。 ベースはPCEのCD-ROM版で、発売順が2→3→4→1だったのでシステム的にもグラフィック的にも2が一番古い作品。 このため収録されている3作品で１より２のが全体的に劣化しているのは仕方ないですね。 PS3のアーカイブスでも配信されているものはカットシーンの音ズレがありましたが、こちらは問題なしでした。 ※ちなみにはるか昔にEGGでも同内容の３作品コンプリートなるものがありましたが、あちらも音ズレしてましたね； 【ゲーム本編起動前にやった方が良い事】 ランチャーでタイトルを左右で選択したら、コントロール設定を見直そう。 特にデフォルトでは移動操作がアナログスティックに割り振られているので方向キーに変更をオススメします。 【ゲーム画面が小さくない？】 画面設定にストレッチやフルストレッチ等の設定がないので、フルスクリーンやボーダーレスの場合は少し小さく表示されます。 ウィンドウモードだとウィンドウMAXに表示されますが、そもそもウィンドウが小さいので小さい； なので私はウィンドウモード＆Lossless scaling（設定アスペクト比）でプレイ・・・ ※わざわざLossless scalingを買えと言ってる訳ではなく、持ってる方は使用した方が良いよぉって事です。 【4は？？】 ナンバリングの4はCollection_vol.2に収録となりますが、果たしてsteamでの配信はあるのかな・・・； 正直4以外はメガドラ版作品なので微妙・・・ 【何故２～4より１が後発なの？】 ここで書く事でもないとは思いますが・・・ １作目は元々PC-8801mkIISR以降とX1、MSXで発売されたタイトルで、後にファミコンにも移植された作品。 ２の発売はPCE CD-ROMが登場してからの作品で、単純に次回作品が当時の現行機種で発売され、後に（確かPCE末期くらいだったかな？）全てのナンバリングを現行機種で遊べるようにと１作目がリメイク移植されたからです。 そう、１作目はリメイクなのです。 【ゲームの内容は？】 このゲームについて語ることはないでしょう・・・ だって往年のファンしか買わないと思うし； 新規の方にも当然触れて欲しいですが、「エロぃ格好の女子高生が異世界で戦うACT」このワードに反応したら買って下さい。 ただし、９０年代の理不尽なゲームである事を忘れずに。

Literally just repackages the Mednafen emulator and removes any useful features from it. Controllers don't work in game, only in the launcher. The screen turns black during a cutscene and crashes right before the fight with Reiko, so it's not even clearable. Worst of all, the games themselves are DLC for the "free" launcher, so you can't get a refund. I hope everyone involved with making this goes home and apologizes to their mother.

This game refuses to use any type of input on my steam deck past the launcher. The game is literally unplayable on steam decks right now, this is unacceptable.

Злобный повелитель демонов Роглес погасил «божественный» свет, который даровал жителям Веканти силу и магические способности. Не имея возможности самостоятельно справиться с врагом, люди обращаются за помощью к богу войны Валиа, и тот посылает им юную героиню-школьницу Юко Асау. Теперь девушке предстоит не только освоиться в новом враждебном мире, но и сражаться с кровожадными демонами Роглеса, которые стоят на пути к её «божественной миссии». [list][b]😍Понравилось:[/b] [*]👍 Доступность: Игра бесплатна [*]👍 Поддержка геймпада [b]🤢Не понравилось:[/b] [*]👎 Отсутствие настройки экранного режима приложения [*]👎 Отсутствие настройки звука [*]👎 Отсутствие настройки разрешения экрана [*]👎 Отсутствие звука/музыкального фона главного меню [*]👎 Отсутствие контента [*]👎 Отсутствие клавиши “выйти из игры” [*]👎 99% функций лаунчера - платные[/list] [b]Вывод:[/b] «[b]Valis: The Fantasm Soldier Collection Launcher[/b]» — это коллекция ретро-игр серии «[b]Valis: The Fantasm Soldier[/b]», которая была популярна в 1986 году и выпускалась на разных игровых платформах того времени. Однако, если Вы хотите познакомиться с этой игровой серией сейчас или являетесь истинным фанатом ретро-игр, то будете разочарованы этим релизом. Потому что Вам не удастся поиграть в классические игры, хотя приложение и доступно для бесплатного скачивания. И проблема не в плохом эмуляторе или сложностях запуска ROM-игр на современных платформах. Всё гораздо проще. Вместо того чтобы выпустить полноценные игры для бесплатного распространения или продавать их на платформе [b]Steam[/b] как отдельный продукт- компания “[b]Edia Co”[/b]. решила предоставить только лаунчер к серии игр. В то время как сами игры, настройки приложения, артбуки и саундтреки являются платными дополнениями. Те, кто скачает «[b]Valis: The Fantasm Soldier Collection Launcher[/b]», не найдут здесь никакого контента, так как даже главное меню лаунчера не содержит лицензионных звуков или музыки из серии игр. Более того, даже настройки являются платным дополнением, не позволяя игрокам настроить скачанный ими лаунчер. В итоге «[b]Valis: The Fantasm Soldier Collection Launcher[/b]» — это странный способ продажи и распространения классических эмуляторов и ретро-игр от “[b]Edia Co.[/b]” Компании следует поучиться у гигантов игровой индустрии, таких как “[b]Konami[/b]”, правильному продвижению и представлению старых проектов для широкой аудитории. Если Вы планируете окунуться в мир ретро-гейминга и вспомнить молодость, то это приложение не подарит Вам ни минуты ностальгии, если Вы не успели приобрести хотя бы одну игру в виде дополнения.

Okay, I was not expecting to EVER see a release of these games on Steam. But then again, I wasn't expecting them on Switch either, which fortunately, I own in the form of a physical copy. I have a ton of hours on Switch and just began trying the PC version, so I will comment on what I see, what I like and what I don't. What is Valis? No, it's not Philp K. ♥♥♥♥'s book of the same name. These games come straight out of good, old 80s Japanese imagination. Not really spoilers, but hey, I dunno, so you can jump off this following section to the next one, where I will get into technical aspects and the release dates, because they are somewhat important... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++SPOILERS?+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Basically, a Japanese schoolgirl by the name of Yuko Aso ends up being called to another world after being given a magical, demon vanquishing sword by the queen of said place to help fight the invading army of one King Rogles. Over the course of the first chapter of her journey, we can see her grow from a frightened, whiny teenager to a valiant sword wielding heroine. And that's just the first one. Second, another threat comes around and Third, the biggest challenge of her (rather short) swordsmanship career, where she will have the help of not one, but two equally brave companions. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++/SPOILERS?+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Now. The technical aspects. The games are emulated forms of the PC Engine releases. They run well, have a few configuration options in the launcher, and the display settings. So please, take your time and explore the different options and experiment on them to see what looks best in your particular case. Don't just drop it without attempting to set it up according to what works best for you. In my case, for some reason, with my dual screen setup, The launcher stayed on my main screen, while the game popped up on the secondary one. Most likely due to some settings of my own, not the emulator itself. A few nice things for people with less available time: Save states. Ten slots for each game and the ability to rewind in real time, which is quite convenient, making the games easier to tackle if you so desire. The possibility to set the controls according to your own preferences is always a good thing. By default, the game seems to come set for using the joystick of my XBox controller, but I find the D-pad much more convenient. Changing it is no issue. The release order. Why is it important? Because the Valis series originated on the PC-8801 (if I'm not mistaken) and over the course of the years, was updated, remade and refined, until it reached the PC Engine, where these versions hail from. Of this compilation, Valis II was developed first. Followed by III, then IV (not included in this collection) and finally a full remake of Valis I. The difference shows, but Valis II is still a perfectly serviceable game with good difficulty and equally good audio for its time. One thing of note, is that Valis II in this form, was one of the first games with spoken dialogue, something uncommon in 1989. Valis I and Valis III are much more refined and have aged better in terms of gameplay, and looks, but keep in mind these are still games with 1980s-1990s design idiosyncrasies and technical limitations. The promotional video on this Steam page can show you how they look, play and animate. These are products of a bygone era that are still entertaining in their own right, both for nostalgic players, as well as someone looking for a game from before incessant tutorials and characters with severe cases of verbal diarrhea that explain which button does what, while interrupting you from actually experimenting yourself. Now, what does the compilation have? In addition to the obvious games, it includes manuals for each, based on default key bindings. Notice I said "default"? Again, you can change those. For both a controller and keyboard. So that's a good thing. It also includes PDFs of the original manuals for those of us who would be curious about how they looked and the artwork that they used. That's for both the Japanese and English language releases. Valis II and Valis III include both the Japanese releases AND the English releases with an option to toggle which version you may want to play. and you can rewatch or spoil yourself of the story by watching the cinematics in a special section in the launcher that opens the video with a player you might have installed, so you will have to manually close it once you're done. Valis I never got an English language release for its PC Engine version, which well, is a damn shame, as it is one of the prettiest in the series. Now... here's the ONE THING I did not like... Because there just HAD to be one. There are no subtitles for the Japanese versions. If you want to play in this "lingua franca" of sorts, you will have to play II and III's English versions and the voice acting is atrocious. It was the norm back then! I know! But why not subtitles? The Switch version adds that with an overlay and the games run as well as they do on PC. I have to really put this forward as something to improve for this PC release that I never expected, but am still more than glad to see and that I will recommend to a few nostalgia freaks I know. So, then... The good: The emulation runs well (for me, at least, I have not encountered major hiccups, but that's MY case). Excellent, high difficulty games from the 80s/90s. Pretty graphics for their time. Noteworthy musical scores for the most part. The bad: Some configuration experimentation needed. No subtitles to help with Valis I (in game) nor to avoid the voice acting of the era in Valis II and III, although more than one will be happy to have those back, I'm sure. These are just subjective things, mind you. You might disagree. Do I recommend this? Yes. Absolutely yes. These are games that still represent an interesting challenge for retro gaming enthusiasts, not to mention the endearing quality of the characters and a glimpse of how game design from that era was. I'd say this is game preservation done right. Looking for a good set of retro games with good difficulty? Look no further.

SteamDeckでの動作について ランチャーはSteamDeckでの標準レイアウトで操作できますが、DLC扱いとなっているゲーム本編を起動すると一切操作ができなくなります 暫定な対策として設定のボタンレイアウトで↑十字キーにキーボードの｢W｣を割り当てるなど各ボタンにキーボードボタンを割り当てるか、コミュニティレイアウトで｢Nice Valis｣と検索すれば予め割り当てられたレイアウトがダウンロードできます また、ディスプレイ設定がフルスクリーン設定だと描画スケールを最大にしても小さいままなので、スクリーンモードをWINDOWにすればちゃんと拡大できるようにまります 上記の通り設定すれば現バージョンでも一通り楽しめる事ができました

🗡️ First of all, FINALLY, we waited, and despite the rather modest release, it has a good price and even the simplicity of the shell doesn't disappoint, since this is far from a popular franchise. «VALIS» has never been famous for its breakthrough in platforming, but it is still a favorite for many due to the presentation of its plot, wonderful music & art style, and even though they are short, unforgivably difficult in some moments, this is an old enough series to scold it for tech imperfection (among the old "masterpieces" there are enough games that don't stand the test of time, only nostalgia, but it's not customary to hate them, and if so, then this one isn't worth it either).