Catch of the day: An ode to DEEP BLUE

[grolt]

When you see "worst of" lists for the Turbografx, DEEP BLUE is usually a central candidate, and that's a shame.  Over the past week or so I've had the pleasure of really diving deep into this one and I'm hypnotized by the ambiance and addicted to the unique dodge-first gameplay.  Even though it was an early Turbo game, I think the graphics are pretty exceptional, with layers of paralax scrolling and foregrounding that really create a sense of depth, and animated bubbles and distortion to give the effect of being underwater.  Bosses and enemy sprites are all meticulously detailed and quite large.  The simple, organ-sounding tunes, especially the Scene A music, really sets the tone and feels like it was birthed from the sea.  At first I found the game punishingly difficult trying to play it with turbos on and high scores in my sights, but once I realized you could gain life by not shooting, that made it instantly easier and added much more strategy to what's typically a lock and load kind of genre.  Considering the vastness of the sea, it seems fitting that the game asks you to hide from predators at times in the corners and pockets in each level for moments in time.

DEEP BLUE certainly isn't a perfect game, and the sad part is that it's really just hampered by small little gaffes that could have been easily diagnosed and fixed with a little play-testing first.  Losing a speed or weapon power-up after one hit sounds fine for most shooters, but in this one, with how tough it can be to dodge (especially all those swarms of tiny little parasites in each level) it means that you'll hardly ever have a power-up for more than a twenty seconds at any point in the game.  Simply changing the setting to something like when your ship eye changes color (that's usually after about 3 hits from regular enemies) would have made the game a lot more playable.  Because the speed power-ups never last, the common complaint is that the ship is too slow, and it's true, it can be really frustrating (especially in the last level with the falling sea urchins) trying to dodge.  I also have some qualms with the three different bullet types; there isn't a ton of variety there and the purple one is highly ineffective, even powered up.  I'll turn that into a compliment though - again, I like how the game forces you to strategize rather than just trying to find power-ups and shoot everything in sight.  With weapons, you have to be selective of which one you want to hold throughout the stages of each level - when there are tons of little enemies the pea shooter is the best, but when you have those never-ending crocodile looking things bombing down, the swirl shot is a lot more effective.  If you're going to make it to the end of DEEP BLUE, you have to do it with smarts, and that's a rarity in games, especially for one as early into the videogaming lifecycle as this one.

Speaking of endings, has anyone ever completely finished the game?  When you make it past the final level the game says "Next" and sends you back to the first stage with a prime beside it (Scene A`) and the difficulty is increased.  I've made it halfway through Scene B` but get overpowered pretty quickly during the mid-level boss.  Just wondering if it is worth trying to finish twice in hopes there's an actual finale.  Please tell me there's a DEEP BLUE master here who's plumbed its depths.

All in all though, I really just love sinking into this one, letting the convincing underwater world wash over me as I duck and dodge swarms of mostly impartial enemies.  Most of the enemies just seem to be going about their business rather than trying to kill you, and I really dig how in this game you're just, as the saying goes, another fish in the sea.  For me, few games have captured the feeling of being underwater better than DEEP BLUE, and consider this my message in a bottle for others who may have left this one shipwrecked because of the generally negative reviews online and beyond.

[grolt]

Hrm - what code does this board use to embed YouTube videos?

[sirhcman]

Hrm - what code does this board use to embed YouTube videos?

remove the 's' from the http line

[grolt]

http'://youtu.be/WkKb9OvXXvk

Hrm - what code does this board use to embed YouTube videos?

remove the 's' from the http line

Perfect, thanks.

[sirhcman]

Perfect, thanks.

hey you're welcome

[esteban]

This is the sort of commentary that I enjoy reading—establishing the nuances of a game. Attempting to provide a more sustained examination of the game itself, and less of the knee-jerk reaction Deep Blue often receives.

Of course, the ridiculous video/song from LL BLUE J aside (what a low-point in his career), I have not been particularly eager to revisit Deep Blue.

INSTEAD OF BUYING MAGICAL CHASE from  tzd, I paid roughly the equivalent $$$ (if not MORE) for Deep Blue + Bravoman—weak titles that I had, miraculously, avoided for years (thus saving me $$$ and disappointment, at least, until I actually purchased them).

Needless to say, you quickly realize that the typical, brain-dead approach to a shoot-em-up (shoot everything that moves) is simply OVERWHELMING in Deep Blue.

So I switched strategies to dodging.

But, I didn't make any tremendous progress by dodging, so I scratched my head and reverted back to mostly braindead strategies + dodging.

Then, at an old TG-16 board, the Truth Was Revealed. The problem is, after all these years, I really haven't given Deep Blue it's fair share of time. I make it to the second or third stage and then move on.

I TALKED TO MY THERAPIST ABOUT THIS "AVOIDANCE" and "INABILITY TO COMMIT"....

I think I am afraid to commit to beating Deep Blue game because, what if—I AM NEVER ABLE TO BEAT IT.

This nightmarish scenario has haunted me since the 90's.

Even as a grown man, I think my fragile ego will be dashed against the rocks of despair of I set a goal of beating Deep Blue and failed to accomplish it.

After this breakthrough, my therapist instructed me to suck her left one, which I dutifully did. I then asked to her to pluck her hairy areola before my next session (when I will be discussing Ghost Manor).

[wildfruit]

More of this areola you speak of

[wildfruit]

God no

[grolt]

This is the sort of commentary that I enjoy reading—establishing out the nuances of a game. Attempting to provide a more sustained, less knee-jerk reaction to a game.

Of course, the ridiculous video/song from LL BLUE J aside (what a low-point in his career), I have not been particularly eager to revisit Deep Blue.

INSTEAD OF BUYING MAGICAL CHASE from  tzd, I paid roughly the equivalent $$$ (if not MORE) for Deep Blue + Bravoman—weak titles that I had, miraculously, avoided for years (thus saving me $$$ and disappointment, temporarily, at least).

Needless to say, you quickly realize that the typical, brain-dead typical approach to a shoot-em-up (shoot everything) is simply OVERWHELMING almost immediately. In Deep Blue.

So o switched to dodging.

But, I didn't make any tremendous progress by dodging, so I scratched my head and reverted back to mostly-braindead strategies + dodging.

Then, at an old TG-16 board, the Truth Was Revealed. The problem is, after all these years, I really haven't given Deep Blue it's fair share of time. I make it to the second or third stage and then move on.

I TALKED TO MY THERAPIST ABOUT THIS "AVOIDANCE" and "INABILITY TO COMMIT"....

I think I am afraid to commit to beating Deep Blue game because, what if—I AM NEVER ABLE TO BEAT IT.

This nightmarish scenario has haunted me since the 90's.

Even as a grown man, I think my fragile ego will be dashed against the rocks of despair of I set a goal of beating Deep Blue and failed.

After this breakthrough, my therapist instructed me to suck her left one, which I dutifully did. I asked to her to pluck her hairy areola before my next session (during which I will be discussing Ghost Manor).

It's honestly not that tough of a game.  It just takes a couple play throughs to figure out the strategy (what places to hide, what weapons to equip) before it's beatable.  Then after that you should be able to get to the "NEXT" on your first sitting.  For me, I pretty much just equip that swirl shot the entire time and upgrade it when I'm able.  Otherwise, it's a lot of sitting in the top or bottom of the screen and picking the right time to come in to shoot and then retreat.


On another note, I like to give the developers the benefit of the doubt that they made a strategic move with the mechanics of the game, but the manual offer two hints, and both are incorrect.  First, it erroneously encourages you to "constantly shoot", which is pretty much the opposite of what you need to do.  Second, it says to try to locate the weak spot on the boss's body - erm, well, the entire boss is vulnerable, and they are really all just pushovers in the game.  Just find a spot that's not shooting out fish and go as close as you can to it and turbo it away.  Still, always get a kick out of how the manual totally punks you.

[PukeSter]

Sorry Grolt. I've tried to give this game a fair shot, but it isn't for me. And for a system full of top tier shooters, this isn't even middle of the road.

I'm not going to waste my time with a game that looks nice, but plays terribly. The tips help somewhat, but theres not much point trying to beat the game.

[Dicer]

In a sea of shooters, it's totally bottom feeder...

[NecroPhile]

Deep Blue ain't for me either.  It has some nice tunes and interesting scenery, but I can't get into a shewty where you're not supposed to shoot half the time.

[grolt]

More game for me to love, I guess, haha.

[Keith Courage]

I like Deep Blue as well and I really like the music which is one of the parts most people dislike.

[T2KFreeker]

I never understood all the hate for Deep Blue either. Some of the games, I get, even though in the past I have said I didn't until I revisited the original of said game, IE Turrican   (Makes me want to cry.) But Deep Blue I'll never understand. I mean, don;t get me wrong, the game really isn't the worst game on the Turbo...not by a long shot. It's solid and beatable with practice. It's generally a memorization game. I also happen to like the music, but that may be nostalgia talking there. Nice write up though...although, the part about the areolas was disturbing, thanks again to Null for that nightmare...

[esteban]

I respectfully submit the following in honor of this thread.

Comrade Grolt,
Little did you know that this thread inspired an entire generation of believers. An entire generation of deceivers. And a handful of folks willing to give a second, third, or tenth opportunity for Deep Blue to be appreciated.

Deepest Blue
our pained hearts
and bruised egos
salute you

R.I.P. A.N.G.E.L.

 

 

R.I.P. Deep Blue