I hope this gets released in the US. I have played it before, and it is fun.

Wow, three of those screens seriously remind me of Detana Twinbee (especially those walking card dudes) and Twinbee Yahoo (the flying ship)

I thought Air Zonk was TG's Parodius clone?

Star Parodier looks pretty cool. I've been playing Soldier Blade on the V.C. and have grown very fond of the gameplay. I'm looking forward to the WiiWare Star Soldier R...

Because AZ is a zany SHMUP. Parodius is a zany SHMUP. So I thought that AZ was supposed to be Hudsons P clone.

I'm desperately trying to get P. Buying AZ has made me want it more because they're both great zany SHMUPS.

After hearing about this, i never thought it would be released on the VC. Then again, unexpected things have happened before. I like the Star Soldier series so i may get this

Demon212, I hope we see at least one of the Parodius games on VC as they're brilliant fun.

I love shooters, and the music is cool. Will be geting this!

Looks like one zany SHMUP!

Well, that's another game to add to the list! It looks like fun, I love the Bomberman crossover.

Instant buy! GIMME MORE JAPANESE CUTE 'EM UPS, GOBBLE GOBBLE!

Maybe this will persuade Konami to release the SNES Twinbee on the VC outside of Japan. (The shooter, not the platformer) I loved the NES game!

No thanks, I will wait for Twinkle Star Sprites.

They should make a shooter that lets you play not only a PC engine but an NES, Genesis, SNES and Gameboy. Call it VC wars or something

Only Japan could make this game, no western developer. Sorry Retro studios:(

I will get this after having my first go on a Star Soldier game yesterday. Hopefully, This will sell well and it will convince Konami to release Parodius to us.

Not sure if they're has been one but i reckon there should be a feature on previously unreleased outside of japan games that haven't yet been announced for release on the VC, Like Mother 1, Star Ocean, Radiant SIlvergun (I Know this was for the Saturn but it had to be said), Mario & Wario, Fire Emblem Etc...

Consider me impressed. I'd also like to second Terranigma's suggestion about doing a feature on unreleased Japanese games.

Very impressive review. If the music and controls are this good then i will defintly download this the next time i get my Wii online.

Does somebody know a site with subs to the nice intro?

This game looks so awesome!!!!!
900 Points Worthy!!

You say Star Parodier is THAT good? I was pretty sceptic, thinking this was a cheap Parodius rip-off, but perhaps I should give it a go then. Once we get our precious harddrive or whatever Nintendo will solve that memorything with

luv shooters even tho i suck at em royally. is this another hardcore one that's gonna humiliate me once again, or does it have easygoing and fun gameplay to match the visuals?

Looks great. will get this as I already have blazing lasers and soldier blade, (also have the portable parodius game for psp.) would like to see the nemesis games released for the vc asthey are meant to be easier than the gradius games

It is a good game, a really good game.
Also perfect for Shmup beginners, as there are few really difficult parts like the speed section in the final level or the last battle itself.
The humor is great too, for example the Bomberman level or the final boss, which is basically a parody of this final boss of Super Star Soldier.
It also has a Battle mode, which is mostly the same as the upcoming WiiWare game. But here the two levels (each with their own boss) are a bonus, not the whole game.
If you like cute Shmups buy it.
I prefer it over Parodius (SNES) and Pop'n Twinbee.

Good review. Star Parodier looks hot! I've got this on my list of VC games to get once I have both points and free memory on my Wii.

looks like Pop'n Twinbee

I downloaded it Friday, must say I love the visuals and music, wacky, cutesy Japanese games are what got me into gaming in the first place (that's why I don't understand the 'kiddy' nonsense). But i had to crank up to hard for optimal shmup enjoyment, because normal is a bit too easy. In my opinion, however, Pop 'n' Twinbee blows this outta the water completely! Also, it's 200+ blocks, holy hell!!

Not to use fightin' words, Corbie, but why exactly do you think SP superior to PT? I'm interested in your view.
For me, PT offers deeper play and more strategy because of the shoot/punch combination and 3 different power-up options. Also, PT music is better (matter of taste, of course), and the graphics are sharper and more colorful. SP is a fun shooter, but not excellent.

Cant decide if to get this or star soldier R on wiiware. I do have blazing lasers and soldier blade and prefer soldier blade.

Is there a term for B-games like with B-movies? This game has that sort of quality to it. Very fun though.

this game is awsome!!! it seems like the turbografx is the king of shoot em ups

So this game is suitable for someone who's totally new to shmups? Nothing too difficult? Are there difficulties to choose from?

@Shortay: on easy, I can complete it, and did so today in one sitting. That says a lot because I am a novice at shoot 'em ups and this is the only one I can finish, even if, embarrassingly, it's on easy. On normal I can get 3/4 of the way through. It's definitely the easiest available on the VC that I've tried, so it shouldn't put you off. Regardless, it's a wonderful game that everyone should play.

The only thing that slightly annoys me (and even then, not particularly) about this game is that there's no true level select (only 1-4), which I think should be available after completing the game. My favourite stage is #7 but if I want to play it I have to play levels 4, 5 and 6 first, every time. But still, level select for stages 1-4 is generous so it's not really a valid complaint.

i really which this game cums out 4 the us! DEMON212 says this game is the best VC SHUMPS

@koresh: Thanks a lot for the info, I'll definitely download it soon .

This probably has nothing to do with this game but... does Japan get its games on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday?

Downloaded this title last week, Is a good shooter that is coloufull and the cd quality soundtrack is very good,5 out of 5 for this.
Adam

Finally downloaded this, Its very good with cute visuals and a great soundtrack. Looks easy but the later levels are quite tricky.

This looks fun but it usually takes me awhile to finish a shooter. I have like 3 I am working on at once right now....well, 4 sort of. Yikes! But I'll get to this one too someday.

Is that date right? Is this coming Monday? Thank you Grandma! I promise I'll do even better next year! I can't wait to download this, especially since I have money to buy it with now.

Whuh? We're getting this tomorrow? Oh happies! Good thing I didn't waste my remaining 1100 points on those other VC games I've so far hesitated to buy. Hopefully my pre-paid credit card has at least 10 bucks remaining on it for them.

Say, what else are we getting tomorrow? if we're getting anything else that is.

I don't believe this question has been asked yet: How much of the game has been translated to English, if any at all? Or rather, how much of the game is in English? And if neither of those are relevant, does it really matter that none of it is in English?

Nothing has been translated afterwards (too bad there aren't even subtitles for the story, it sounds funny).
The menus are all english, but some options are japanese (just try, there's even a squeeze option for 16:9 TVs!) and the speed levels are japanese (gladly the voice says in japanese english (speedo uppo or speedo down if you press - )
The manuals are in your Wii's language

Gahhh! It's not here yet! What the heck?! Oh well, I'll just have to wait another week...

I just gotta ask, why did it say it was coming out July 21? Was that just guess work, because I didn't see anything else that said it was coming out today, and now I see that the date has been changed back to the ambiguous TBA. So what's the story, huh?

@Bensei

Thanks for the info. I'll probably get...it if it ever comes out!

@Mickeymac
its listed on hudson web site that it was coming out on july 21st
http://vc-pce.com/usa/e/index.html

Please be next monday, please bs next monday, please be next monday, please be next monday....

Sorry to disappoint Mr Cheez but it looks like you Americans are getting it on 11th August (since Hudson have the date listed on their website)

Well, at least now I know a proper release date. Now I just hope that Hudson doesn't change the date at the last minute like they did last week.

This game looks better than the shooters it's "parodying". .

Wow. Extremely positive review... I'm tempted to pick this one up, as I lack any shooters and this one does seem like fun. I wish it was a bit less expensive of course.

Can't wait to get home from work and download!

hmmm... not on my VC.. WHY NOT?? i've been waiting for this game for freakn ever

wow, what a wonderful game. lighthearted, fun and very wacky. thanks for the reviews & round-up, would have missed it if not for the coverage.

Great game although a liitle easy compared to Star Soldier, R-Type, etc. Personally, I enjoy the non-dubbed japanese versions as I have some beer and make up my own dialogue according to the cutscenes. Not always funny, but in this case, Bomberman (or one of his multi-colored buddies) get the red haired chick pregnant and have to figure out whose it is. Then the roller coaster blows up. You have to watch the opening sequence but it makes a good improv/drinking game. Another plus is themusic reminds me of Saturday morning cartoon music from the eighties... anyone?

Konami should released Parodius 1,2,3 for the SNES on the VC!

@Rapadash6
Didnt Konami and Hudson soft merge a couple of years ago?

Downloaded it last night, "Star Parodier" is a really great game.

Wow I watched a video of this game and I don't know if I can get past the screaming Japanese voices. It started to grate on my nerves

@Tony

You think, that's annoying, then you haven't heard Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiDBU_O20q4&feature=related

Only downside I see in the video is there no one playing as Bomber man... Oh well.
I got this game and it's very fun.
Just got to be a fan of these type of games though.

Just got it, and I'm already loving it! The look and the music are very pleasing, and it's going to be tough to adjust to the gritty looks and sounds of average shooters once I'm done with Star Parodier. The bosses, as stated are really unique, and I really like them. I've only played as the Paroceaser so far, but it's cooler than the ceaser in Super Star Soldier(albeit pretty similar). I was surprised you had your ususal bombs in this game, though they aren't the screen-clearing kind, so there is some strategy towards using them. It gets hard pretty fast though(on normal at least). I managed to accumulate 9 lives through the first 2 levels, then I lost them all in level 3. It's still a ton of fun though, and I'm glad I got it!

It's nice to see there's an easy mode too, since, to be honest to you, shooters are kind of difficult for the average person to get into, and this game would make a perfect starting point. While I wouldn't say you have to be a fan of shooters to like this, if you hate shooters for their basic gameplay, this probably won't change your mind. But if you hated the difficulty, or have never played a shooter before, it is definitely recommended( on easy anyways).

Edit: I tried the other ones, and PC-Engine rocks! Bomberman, not so much .

Funny, as catchy as the music is, it still can't dislodge the F-Zero X music from my head.

@ Mickey Mac
Wow I watched the Parodius clip. Man they were having some conversation there. Glad I have a mute button. I the only the that could be worse is listening to Chun-Li talk all day.

This game is very wierd. The first boss you face is a roller coaster! But this the best shooter game I have played and is 10 times better than Soldier Blade.

I would get this now, but once again, my Wii is stuffed ("Swapping" with the SD card sucks donkey). Also, I had 1300 points, but I blew 700 of that on Break-In. I know imports are a mixed bag (loved DoReMi, hated Bio-Miracle), but I think this will be a freaking hit on my Wii once I buy more points and clear some room for it.

I am one of those types who loves the SHMUP genre but sucks at most SHMUP games.

Since my shmup history before buying this game consisted of playing random shooters on my relatives' SNES (I liked none of them), Star Parodier was my first shmup, and I'm more than pleased. It has great music, great graphics, great replay value...it is just great overall. Although this is my first shmup game, I must admit myself that the game is a tad easy, but I still loved it, possibly enough to warrant another shmup purchase. We'll see.

An awesome game for anyone looking to enter the shmup genre.

Seems to me like a lot of fun. Will deffinetly get this. Bomberman as a boss and shooting CD-roms is brilliant! lol

So how many levels are in this game?

I've read other people say that Star Parodier gets hard fast. I agree!. I had trouble starting at level four. (I'm not even sure if I can make it past level seven.)

so how long is this game?

@breaderer: Depends on how often you die. If you're good, you may complte it in a few hours, then intense mode may be good for you.

@Bensei

How many stages are in it?

I can say that so far this game has been more than worth the import price! I've been playing it quite frequently, more than most shooters, and I've loved every minute of it! The bosses are creative, the music is fantastic, and the look is incredibly charming! And I'd say I owe it to Corbie, since I probably would've passed it up if he hadn't have recommended it. Thank you!

Out of the SHMUPS that I've played before, This just hits number 1 on my list. And for people who Don't Know much japanese at all, Like me, There is nothing to worry about, There isn't that much Japanese Text at all. I know anyone will like it.

The reason I hate this game is that on Level 5, which is inside the pyramid, if you die at the boss you go back to the start of the level. It is one of the most tedious things I've ever experienced in a videogame. The level itself is very boring so after one or two tries I can't take the game anymore and need a break from it which can last months. The boss doesn't even seem that hard but because he changes forms and attacks and the fight takes place in such a small place, I can't help but take a hit at least once. It just makes me mad because the game was really fun UP to this point.

The last level is tough, for me at least. I had to wuss out and knock it down to easy and start again at level four to get through. Terrific fun, though. Lost about 8 hours to this game so far.

I'm a bit disappointed after playing Lifeforce. Because of it, I'm very hesitant when it comes down to buying this.

Downloaded this game. I'd have to say it's better than the Star Soldier and Parodius. This game is definitely recommended for beginner shooters like me or anybody who likes to have fun.

I think Star Parodier a nice and very pleasant shump game.
Me playing Star Parodier on Virtual Console:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=24614A7E19AE03E5