LTTP: Panzer Dragoon Orta (2002)

[Cerulean_skylark]

I have a Question.
I own an og xbox, but no working controllers. And I have a physical copy of Orta. Can i use my physical OG xbox games in the Series X if it is a game with backwards compatability? or is that like specific digital release kind of thing?

 

[Barrel Cannon]

Orta is sweet. I would give star successor a try. Thats an absolute gem of a game in a similar vein

 

[Kent]

I only ever got the chance to play Zwei somewhat recently - a coworker was wanting to get rid of some of his collection, and offered me a pretty heavily discounted price on it, so I took him up on it, not realizing that the copy itself was in incredible condition.

And now I love it to death.

It's a toss-up between Zwei and Orta for me, though I've played a whole lot more Orta - but I see it as one of those situations where you can't lose either way; you're still playing one of the greatest rail shooters of all time.

I have a Question.
I own an og xbox, but no working controllers. And I have a physical copy of Orta. Can i use my physical OG xbox games in the Series X if it is a game with backwards compatability? or is that like specific digital release kind of thing?

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Yep - just pop the disc in and it'll start downloading the packaged version from Xbox Live.

 

[Arukado]

£9 on the store, is this Series X BC compatible?

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It is (i played it for the first time last year on my Series S).

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My favorite part of this game was the soundtrack. I love it, and it blends really well with what is happening on the screen.

Regarding game favorites, i've only played this one and the remake of the first, so it is an easy answer. It is a shame that the OG version included in Orta is not enhanced in any way.

 

[Cerulean_skylark]

Yep - just pop the disc in and it'll start downloading the packaged version from Xbox Live.

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that's an excellent deal. Do all packaged games with BC work that way?

 

[Deleted member 36578]

Zwei left a longer lasting impact on me so I voted for that. Both are incredible. This is one the greatest gaming franchises of all time.

 

[Kent]

that's an excellent deal. Do all packaged games with BC work that way?

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Yeah, the Xbox backwards compatibility system will let you use your discs to confirm that you own the game, but even though it plays the version downloaded from Xbox Live, it requires the disc to be in unless you purchased a digital version.

 

[daninthemix]

I wonder if Sega are remaking this too?

 

[Cerulean_skylark]

Yeah, the Xbox backwards compatibility system will let you use your discs to confirm that you own the game, but even though it plays the version downloaded from Xbox Live, it requires the disc to be in unless you purchased a digital version.

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Totally fine by me. I'm definitely picking up a Series X sooner than later.

 

[fourfourfun]

My favorite part of this game was the soundtrack. I love it, and it blends really well with that is happening on the screen.

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There is a certain Final Fantasy X-ness about it, from the videos I just watched. The middle distance of organic and digital, dewy pads and moods.

 

[Desi]

It's too hard for me to complete.

 

[Deleted member 17210]

For the Brits in here, you may remember when Panzer Dragoon Zwei was featured in EastEnders:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

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I remember you showed MD Sonic on that show in another thread. Were there any other video game appearances?

 

[striderno9]

This was the first formal game review I have ever written.

 

[andymcc]

This was the first formal game review I have ever written.

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if it isn't too embarrassing, do you have a link?

It's too hard for me to complete.

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??? i think it's harder than the other PD games but i maintain it's easier than the S&P games once once you get the hang of transforming & the right time to do it.

 

[MikeMyers]

never played zwei and only played the first game for the first time as the remake. really liked it, but i'd give the nod to orta here.

it's retroactively improved for me as an actual sequel to saga (since i played saga later).

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Huh, odd. Usually Saga is the one no one played.

Orta is 20 years old!?

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I know right? We're old!

PD Orta was literally the reason I bought an Xbox in the summer of 2002. (Pretty sure the game actually released in early 2003, though.)

I went through this on-again/off-again rollercoaster ride... I gave absolutely zero fucks about Microsoft throwing their hat into the ring with a new console (off) but then I heard it was going to have a new Panzer Dragoon as an exclusive (on) but then I heard it wasn't going to be made by Team Andromeda but rather some new studio called Smilebit (off) but then I heard Smilebit was made up of mostly ex-Team Andromeda staff (on.) I ran out and bought an Xbox, but the PDO wasn't going to release for more than six months. In the mean time, I played this obscure little first person shooter named Halo, which went on to become one of my favorite franchises of all time... whereas ironically Panzer Dragoon Orta ultimately became a barely recalled footnote in my gaming career. I was expecting it would basically be like the original PD and Zwei, but with better graphics, and that's all I wanted... but it really wasn't that at all. It looked and felt different enough that I basically thought it might as well have been made by all non-Team Andromeda folks. I still have my copy somewhere, if I can find it I'll pop it into my XSX.

P.S. Zwei 4 President

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2002 in Japan, 2003 elsewhere.

Zwei holds a real special place in my heart. Lots of incredible tension/musical build for scenes. Never experienced that before in games.


View: https://youtu.be/xHz0uBSmwnA?t=1024

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Yeah, that whole Episode 5 is such a great gaming moment in Zwei.

I adore the game but desperately wish there was some sort of cheat code to unlock everything. I had to do it between three consoles now!

I think Orta has the most interesting mechanics to it overall but Zwei is just such a finely crafted game, it is hard to compare anything to it.

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Totally worth it a 3rd time!

I wonder if Sega are remaking this too?

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Sega didn't do the Switch remake, unless you mean the PS2 remake. The developer of the Switch remake did announce a Zwei remake, but a no show.

I remember you showed MD Sonic on that show in another thread. Were there any other video game appearances?

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Not that I know of, but it may interest you to know I've been writing this:

References to Sega/Film, television, and print - Sega Retro

segaretro.org

Interestingly, outside of the obviosus IP, Panzer Dragoon 2 is one of the most referenced Sega games alongside Outrun, VF2, Nights and Crazy Taxi.

 

[The Lord of Cereal]

I'm a zoomer so unfortunately I've only played Orta (and I will forever regret the time I had the chance to buy all 3 original games for like $10 a pop at a garage sale) but Orta is legitimately one of the best games I've ever played. Everything about it is just so satisfying and smooth and fun and I could honestly gush on and on about it with no remorse. It's also just a legitimately beautiful game as well honestly

 

[Replicant]

Orta is awesome and holds up so well today, but Zwei is a better game. Zwei is the best in the genre

 

[SirNinja]

Orta is awesome and holds up so well today, but Zwei is a better game. Zwei is the best in the genre

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I'm hoping the Zwei remake just suddenly drops one day like PD1R did. (I've got a partial OT ready to go for whenever it does.) That game's gonna be something really special if they do it right.

It's too hard for me to complete.

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Keep at it! The game doesn't penalize you for playing on Easy, and it actually automatically unlocks various rewards just for playing. Every 5 hours of in-game time gets you various unlockables, and after 20 hours it unlocks literally everything. (It's how people were able to bypass the infamous "PAL version freezes after Episode 4" BC glitch back in the day.)

 

[striderno9]

if it isn't too embarrassing, do you have a link?

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Thanks for asking but the site is long dead by now, it used to be called Xengamers if I remember correctly.

 

[Deleted member 17210]

Not that I know of, but it may interest you to know I've been writing this:

References to Sega/Film, television, and print - Sega Retro

segaretro.org

Interestingly, outside of the obviosus IP, Panzer Dragoon 2 is one of the most referenced Sega games alongside Outrun, VF2, Nights and Crazy Taxi.

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Awesome work. There was some Australian movie I saw a decade or so ago that had Alex Kidd in Miracle World in it (at least the audio) but I don't remember anything else about it now.

And Muppet Babies had Fantasy Zone (and maybe Frogger, too, if we're counting that as a Sega game). There's also the Seinfeld Frogger episode; I think they removed the Sega name off the cabinet but it's still seen in-game. Wayne's World had Sonic 1. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter had Zaxxon. The show Roseanne mentions Sonic (or at least a hedgehog game) I think even though the family bought a Super Nintendo instead.

 

[∀∃:ETURNA]

Zwei is easily the best one. I like Orta, but it missed the mark for me in a lot of ways.

 

[brain_stew]

£9 on the store, is this Series X BC compatible?

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Yes, runs at 16x resolution on Series X and 9x resolution on Series S at a locked 60fps with 16xAF on both.

 

[Ishmae1]

From the moment I first played Panzer Dragoon on the Saturn, I loved this world. And the music. And the gameplay. And the... everything about it. Played 'em all and loved them all.

I don't see SAGA on that list though... =)

 

[MikeMyers]

Awesome work. There was some Australian movie I saw a decade or so ago that had Alex Kidd in Miracle World in it (at least the audio) but I don't remember anything else about it now.

And Muppet Babies had Fantasy Zone (and maybe Frogger, too, if we're counting that as a Sega game). There's also the Seinfeld Frogger episode; I think they removed the Sega name off the cabinet but it's still seen in-game. Wayne's World had Sonic 1. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter had Zaxxon. The show Roseanne mentions Sonic (or at least a hedgehog game) I think even though the family bought a Super Nintendo instead.

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There's a seperate list for Sonic: https://info.sonicretro.org/References_to_Sonic_in_film,_television,_and_printed_media

I'm gonna get back to that one once I finish the Sega Retro one. Got any screenshots for those?

Here's what I'm planning on adding:

1.) Opa Opa in Zillion
2.) Tonikaku Kawaii mentions Mega Drive, Episode 11 7:24
3.) Jashin-Chan Dropkick mentions Mega Drive, Season 2 Episode 3 10:03
4.) Generation X
5.) Oha Suta (Dreamcast Japan launch, thanks Serein !)

From the moment I first played Panzer Dragoon on the Saturn, I loved this world. And the music. And the gameplay. And the... everything about it. Played 'em all and loved them all.

I don't see SAGA on that list though... =)

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Saga would dominate, so wouldn't be fair.

 

[Deleted member 17210]

I'm gonna get back to that one once I finish the Sega Retro one. Got any screenshots for those?

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I don't know how I missed that Sonic page link.

Muppet Babies stuff - http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2010/07/muppet-babies-its-only-pretendo.html

Zaxxon - www.fridaythe13thfranchise.com/2017/08/sculpt-or-die-making-zaxxon-mask-from.html

And here's Slap Shot in MacGyver:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

 

[MikeMyers]

I don't know how I missed that Sonic page link.

Muppet Babies stuff - http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2010/07/muppet-babies-its-only-pretendo.html

Zaxxon - www.fridaythe13thfranchise.com/2017/08/sculpt-or-die-making-zaxxon-mask-from.html

And here's Slap Shot in MacGyver:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

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Thanks. I added in F13 4 and will add the other two soon.

Also, going by that, seems like the iconic games per system are:

Mega Drive: Sonic, Mortal Kombat, NHL
Saturn: NiGHTS into Dreams, Panzer Dragoon II Zwei, Virtua Fighter 2
Dreamcast: Sonic Adventure, Crazy Taxi, NBA/NFL 2k

 

[ResidentDante]

Great games, I love 1&2 on Saturn. Even liked the remake of PD1.

Orta is really nice too, looks great on the Series X/S in super high resolution.

Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S owners really should check out Crimson Dragon too, if they like this type of game. I think it was made by some of the same people.

 

[Deleted member 17210]

Thanks. I added in F13 4 and will add the other two soon.

Also, going by that, seems like the iconic games per system are:

Mega Drive: Sonic, Mortal Kombat, NHL
Saturn: NiGHTS into Dreams, Panzer Dragoon II Zwei, Virtua Fighter 2
Dreamcast: Sonic Adventure, Crazy Taxi, NBA/NFL 2k

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Another one, OutRun in Donnie Darko.

There was also an homage to OutRun in some commercial in recent years but I don't remember what it was for.

 

[MikeMyers]

Another one, OutRun in Donnie Darko.

There was also an homage to OutRun in some commercial in recent years but I don't remember what it was for.

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That was a commercial for a company ironically called Sonic, which is on the list.

I literally just put on Donnie Darko lol!

 

[Deleted member 17210]

That was a commercial for a company ironically called Sonic, which is on the list.

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I thought I saw something more recent than ten years ago but looking at it again, maybe that was it and time's just going too fast.

 

[MikeMyers]

I thought I saw something more recent than ten years ago but looking at it again, maybe that was it and time's just going too fast.

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I mean, Orta being 20 years old does not feel right itself.

 

[ss_lemonade]

Zwei was incredible. I played that game way too much trying to unlock everything everything in Pandra's box

 

[SirNinja]

I wonder if Sega are remaking this too?

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It honestly still looks very good today; countless people confused it for an Xbox 360 game way back when. Sega could get away with simply a straight port if they wished to do so.

 

[Kent]

Great games, I love 1&2 on Saturn. Even liked the remake of PD1.

Orta is really nice too, looks great on the Series X/S in super high resolution.

Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S owners really should check out Crimson Dragon too, if they like this type of game. I think it was made by some of the same people.

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Crimson Dragon is really underappreciated - a large amount of people back at launch saw that it has login bonuses and microtransactions and dismiss it entirely, without understanding that the game is one that was actually not designed around having them in the first place, so everything is self-contained and obtainable through gameplay at a very reasonable pace.

It's different, and while I won't say it reaches the highs that Panzer Dragoon does (because it absolutely doesn't), it's not a bad game at all. And the co-op that was added in post-launch is well-handled, too - each player has a separate path they take through each stage.

But yes, it's by Yukio Futatsugi and his team over at Grounding. It's worth playing if you like rail shooters.

 

[ResidentDante]

Crimson Dragon is really underappreciated - a large amount of people back at launch saw that it has login bonuses and microtransactions and dismiss it entirely, without understanding that the game is one that was actually not designed around having them in the first place, so everything is self-contained and obtainable through gameplay at a very reasonable pace.

It's different, and while I won't say it reaches the highs that Panzer Dragoon does (because it absolutely doesn't), it's not a bad game at all. And the co-op that was added in post-launch is well-handled, too - each player has a separate path they take through each stage.

But yes, it's by Yukio Futatsugi and his team over at Grounding. It's worth playing if you like rail shooters.

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Totally agree, the micro transactions bad rep doesn't count at all in hindsight.

Forgot it had coop, that sounds really fun!

 

[Serein]

5.) Oha Suta (Dreamcast Japan launch, thanks Serein !)

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No worries.

It must be over 15 years since I played Orta. Great game although Zwei is my favourite Panzer game.

 

[MikeMyers]

Great games, I love 1&2 on Saturn. Even liked the remake of PD1.

Orta is really nice too, looks great on the Series X/S in super high resolution.

Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S owners really should check out Crimson Dragon too, if they like this type of game. I think it was made by some of the same people.

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I'll give Crimson Dragon a look.

I thought I saw something more recent than ten years ago but looking at it again, maybe that was it and time's just going too fast.

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Got some more stuff to add:

No worries.

It must be over 15 years since I played Orta. Great game although Zwei is my favourite Panzer game.

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I've managed to convince Sega Retro to add it!

 

[FinFunnels]

Got some more stuff to add:

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lol that's awesome. What anime is it?

 

[MikeMyers]

lol that's awesome. What anime is it?

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My Uncle From Another World. The opening is a montage of Sega Saturn games and the eyecatch even pays homage to Panzer Dragoon II Zwei.

 

[FinFunnels]

My Uncle From Another World. The opening is a montage of Sega Saturn games and the eyecatch even pays homage to Panzer Dragoon II Zwei.

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Haha that's so cool! I'll have to give this a watch, thanks!

 

[sir_crocodile]

Zwei is my favourite. Fond memories of perfecting every route while listening to that wonderful soundtrack.

 

[Silvergun-Blue]

I feel that Zwei was the real point where the series found it's true identity, particularly on terms of it's marriage of audio and visuals. To this day it has an incredibly unique look and feel to it. It still blows my mind that this niche series from a relatively unpopular console got other lease of life on a totally different console family.

If it had has the level of exposure that releasing on the Playstation would have afforded then I'm sure the series would be revered along with some of the systems greatest games but then you could really argue that its the sort of franchise that would only ever have been developed by Sega for a Sega console.

 

[MikeMyers]

I feel that Zwei was the real point where the series found it's true identity, particularly on terms of it's marriage of audio and visuals. To this day it has an incredibly unique look and feel to it. It still blows my mind that this niche series from a relatively unpopular console got other lease of life on a totally different console family.

If it had has the level of exposure that releasing on the Playstation would have afforded then I'm sure the series would be revered along with some of the systems greatest games but then you could really argue that its the sort of franchise that would only ever have been developed by Sega for a Sega console.

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Ever play Omega Boost? Basically Panzer Dragoon PlayStation by the Gran Turismo devs.