Brandish General

[Anonymous No.1558754]

Brandish master race reporting on.

Hi /vr/,

I'm the very same anon who bought Brandish 2 (PC-98), VT and 4 from Rakuten and promised one month (or so) ago on a /vr/ thread that would dump and upload Brandish 4 on the internets. Just got the games two days ago, and I'm here to fulfill the promise I made to all my Brandish bros.

Here a MediaFire link to download Brandish 4: https://www.mediafire.com/?fzo10f2yhfei7mp
Just extract the .rar file and mount the disk image (in .mdx format) with Daemon Tools. No password or code needed in order to run the game.

This game is nearly impossible to download from the internet, and Falcom doesn't sell it on their store anymore, so I guess it's A-OK to do this, for preservation reasons.

Some computers might have problems in order to run the game, which will result in the game looking like total shit and with graphical errors (like this: http://i.imgur.com/vh6uclm.png).). In order to fix this (or to play it in window mode), download a program to force the game into a window. I recommend to use D3D Windower (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-fyNeMZMqA)) and run the game at 640x480.

As it takes up very little space, I also dumped and included the disk image of Brandish VT, which Brandish 4 is a enhanced port of. It's a PC-98 game, but the manual says it works on Windows 95 too. Mount it with Daemon Tools (too) and run the installer.

There's currently no English translation for the game, but here's a link to a Brandish 4 translation project web page: http://www.scribesslate.com/brandish4/default.html
The project is currently stopped, since there's no one to provide a translation (more info about that here: http://www.scribesslate.com/brandish4/information.html)), but there's a patch available in that same web page to download that translates around a 5% of the game, which is still better than nothing.

Oh well, enjoy it, I guess.

[Anonymous No.1558796]

And so Anonymous delivers. Thanks, bro.

[Anonymuos No.1558836]

>>1558754
based luv, thanks!

[Anonymous No.1558874]

Not owning brandish on snes. Gay wad

[Anonymous No.1558876]

>>1558796
>>1558836

You're welcome guys. Enjoy it!

[Anonymous No.1558890]

>>1558874

Mediocre port for plebian gaijins. Brandish 2 SFC was much better, though.

[Anonymous No.1559046]

Thanks OP!

[Anonymous No.1559084]

>>1558890
What's the best version of Brandish 1 in our opinion?
I would usually favor the FM Towns as it was more capable than the PC98 but apparently the game was released on floppies so the difference shouldn't be big.

[Anonymous No.1559105]

>>1559084

Either the original PC-98 version or the PSP remake. Haven't tried the FM Towns version of Brandish 1 (all I know is that Ending II doesn't sound as good as the original, but still good), although I do own the FM-Towns version of Dragon Slayer VI: The Legend of Heroes.

But pretty sure the FM Towns version is an exact port of the PC-98 original

[Anonymous No.1559441]

You have done God's work, Anon. I appreciate it.

[Anonymous No.1559763]

>>1558754
Thanks! also post some link to contact you in case you decide to dump more games please!

[Anonymous No.1559781]

>>1558754
Brandish 3 please!

[Anonymous No.1560597]

>>1559781
That part was PC98 exclusive if I see correctl.
Get the NaNiNe archive from.
https://archive.org/details/pc98-maker-betsu-tsumeawase
Brandish is filed in Ni under Nihon Falcom.

[Anonymous No.1560749]

>Brandish general

Woah fuck. Awesome! I beat Brandish 1 a few weeks back on the SNES and I've been playing Brandish 2 translated now.

I'm totally dual wielding shields and I'm having a laugh because it's actually a fairly effective means of combat, seeing as there are shields that give offensive bonuses, they're unbreakable, they attack fast, and you can kick with them.

[Anonymuos No.1560828]

Brandish forum when?

[Anonymous No.1560892]

>>1559781
I can dump that too. Give me a few hours.

[Anonymous No.1560970]

>It's a PC-98 game, but the manual says it works on Windows 95 too.
I got it to install in DOSbox running Windows 3 but it caused problems because I used an English version.

[Anonymous No.1560990]

OP here.

>>1559763

Not sure if I'll dump more games. I just did this because a) I own a legitimate copy of Brandish 4 and b) there's no way to get this game anymore. The game is from 1996/8 and Falcom doesn't sell it anymore, so it's not like they have much to lose at this point.

If you (or someone) wants to get in contact with me, I'm @jdkluv on Twitter.

>>1560749

Awesome anon! I hope you enjoy Brandish 2! Totally rad game with awesome level design, kickass boss fights, and one of the best game endings ever. Amazing soundtrack too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SLX74hZChc

Dual-sword wielding is also pretty kickin' if you're all about attack -- deals tons of "massive damage" :)

>>1560892

Done Anon. Here's Brandish 3 for the PC-98: http://www.mediafire.com/download/ppfyfbg8pgeesr5/

To run it, do the following.

1) Get a PC-98 emulator (like Neko Project II or T98-NEXT).
2) Open "user.FDI" on FDD1.
3) Open "ブランディッシュⅢ 6.FDI" on FDD2 to watch the Opening (オープニング). Open "ブランディッシュⅢ 1.FDI" on FDD2 to start the game (ゲームスタート).

Enjoy it, Anon. Brandish 3 is a brutal game with awesome soundtrack: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFKfmuP4Mbs

>>1560828

I would like to see the Synchronicity forums open again :(

[Anonymous No.1561006]

>>1560970

OP here.

I actually haven't tried Brandish VT yet -- I've never managed to run it because a) it comes with a CD (B1, 2 and 3 (not the Renewal re-releases) comes in floppy disks) and b) requires installation :-/. Gonna talk with some people to see if we can manage to run it somehow. Will post how to run it if we manage it.

Thanks for testing it out! I was going to install Windows 95 on Virtualbox to see if it works. This will save me some time.

[Anonymous No.1561065]

>>1561006
It's probably easier to just emulate the PC98 via NP2.
I was just curious about the compatibility.

[Anonymous No.1561145]

>>1561065

I'd like to try the Brandish games with T98-NEXT. Not quite happy with the sound emulation in NP2 :-/

[Anonymous No.1561151]

>>1561145
Are you using the fmgen forks?

[Anonymous No.1561169]

>>1561151

The music quality sounds great on fmgen, but the SFX are delayed 1-2 seconds :(

[Anonymuos No.1561185]

>>1561169
Some games have a farting problem with SFX as well. Are there any good PC-98 emulators out there?

[Anonymous No.1561192]

>>1561185

The thing is, the SFX aren't delayed at all on another version of NP2 that I use. The only problem is that the music doesn't sound as good as on Hoot or the OST releases.

I've heard that T98-NEXT's sound emulation is pretty good, at least for the Touhou games.

[Anonymous No.1562169]

Gonna try this as soon as I arrive home Thanks OP!

[Anonymous No.1562506]

Holy shit, the holy grail of /vr. Thank you, anons. This is why I come here. Fucking awesome.

Also, the timing on this topic is pretty coincidental. I only just recently had the time to play through Brandish 1 & 2, and was wondering if I'd ever get the chance to play the rest of the series.

[Anonymous No.1564089]

Oh my god! I never thought I'd ever get the change to play Brandish 4! God bless you OP.

[Anonymous No.1564506]

I've already lost all hope to play this game and then BAM this thread happens. Thank you OP, very much appreciated.

[Anonymous No.1564697]

Thanks for the upload, OP!

[Anonymous No.1564725]

>>1558754
I litterally want to suck your dick for this op!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

[Anonymous No.1566432]

Consider yourself a hero for the (small) Brandish fan base, OP.

[Anonymous No.1566439]

>>1558754
OP, when in state prison, ask for Elephant Sherman. Ask any guard, anyone, they all know me. You're the man for uploading this, so I'll supply you with smokes throughout your time and personally introduce you to all the right people so you need not fear anyone.

[Anonymous No.1566445]

Thanks a lot, OP, you did a great job.

People say that Brandish 1 on the super nintendo sucks, but I really like it...

[Anonymous No.1566531]

Thanks everyone for the positive responses! I thought this was going to become another "Brandish SUCKS" thread. Glad I was wrong this time!

BRANDISH FANS UNITE.

>>1566439
This reply made my day, hahaha. Thanks for the kind words, Anon :)

>>1566445
You're welcome Anon, I love Brandish as well. The problem with it is that most people approach it as an Action RPG, tries out the SNES version of B1 for 5 minutes with an emulator and claims it sucks because it doesn't live up well to that kind of expectation (which is, honestly, kind to be expected). In reality Brandish is fundamentally a tile-based puzzle game with action elements but it doesn't communicate this very well with first impressions. The latter floors are very devious and extremely well-put-together and will make its design obvious to people with the patience to push through to it, however, and that is where the promise of its quality becomes apparent as it has settled in over time and "clicks" in your mind at a moment where you're like "Ahaha! This is great and I'm getting awesome at this punishing but rewarding exercise in patience, execution and foresight!"

Be sure to play the sequels and check out the PSP remake of B1 someday (localized or not). All of them are freaking amazing.

[Anonymous No.1566606]

Oh fuck! Brandish 4! I remember could've offered it - it took me ages to find a torrent that was actually seeded. That was three years ago, and now they're all dead.

This is just plain awesome, OP - you have done an amazing service for the internets. I salute you for this, good sir.

[Anonymous No.1566891]

That is one awesome Brandish collection OP! Well done!

Thanks a lot for Brandish 4 link too!

[Anonymous No.1567791]

Holy shit! Thanks OP!

I thought I would never play this again after my last hard drive died.

Have a Brandish catfight as a reward!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynF-RKw3gXg

[Anonymous No.1569993]

>>1566531
Not to mention the payoff of hearing new music, which gets more epic with each new set of floors you conquer.

When I first played Brandish on the SNES, I was like, "oh, okay, I kind of get it, but it also sukcs," at the start.

By the Tower, I was hooked, and the new music some how solidified my resolve. The march matched my mindeset perfectly as I methodically tore through the levels.

Then with the Cave, the theme was more melancholy and then sort of bittersweet, reflecting the time I spent playing this far in the first place, struggling with obstacles and ultimately overcoming them.

Dark Zone sucks. GAWD!

Fortress! Jesus Christ, it's sooo good. The perfect final dungeon theme. Blazing forward, spirits high, even when confused, the music is a constant beacon urging the player towards his final destination.

I fucking listen to the OST on dem der yootoobs all the damn time.

[Anonymous No.1570016]

>>1569993
>sukcs

Ya blew it.

[Anonymous No.1570134]

>All these games
>Only Brandish 3 lets you play as the titty monster on the cover
>No english translation

[Anonymous No.1570271]

>Turning rotates the world instead of your character

Retarded.

[Anonymous No.1570363]

>>1570134
Actually the PSP remake of Brandish 1 lets you play her......but only in a series of bonus levels, not the main game itself.

[Anonymous No.1570572]

>>1570271
What?

It's's basically like Wizardry, dude, just viewed from the top down.

[Anonymuos No.1570680]

>>1570134
I never understood that. It's like they are trying to sell a game with boobs!
>>1570271
That shit is pretty terrible in all the games. PSP version is smooth, so maybe try that?

[Anonymous No.1571259]

[Anonymous No.1571604]

>>1569993

The original Brandish has indeed an amazing soundtrack! My favorite song would be "Ancient Statue", which IMO is stil one of the most melancholic tracks in the entire Brandish franchise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ-n99iZjdU

(Still uploading the complete PC-98 soundtrack on YouTube, though!)

Man, the Brandish series has some of the best compositions in all of game music, and yet it seems to get very little attention... Really sad actually.

>>1571259

One of the best VGM piano albums (or just VGM, for that matter) I have ever heard. Have "some" of my favorite tracks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q6P2uzt-4c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiIFSs1aOmg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVdEfDpFAL4

But really, the entire album is outstanding.

[Anonymous No.1572376]

>>1571604

Lovely tunes Anon. Thanks for sharing.

[Anonymous No.1572803]

Hey is the combat in Brandish 2 for the SNES supposed to be so... unresponsive and clunky? Like sure in Brandish 1 it was simple as hell but attacking was fast and it actually responded

There are times I hit the A button to attack in Brandish 2 and Ares doesn't do jack. plus his attacks are far slower, makes this game way harder than the original

[Anonymous No.1573182]

Since we're posting Brandish music, here's the link to the Brandish 1 PSP remake's soundtrack:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi4eNuwO6Hg&list=PL35BA49CE34A82CB0

[Anonymous No.1573607]

>>1572803
Huh? I didn't have any problem with Brandish 2 SFC. In fact, I thought the combat in B2 SFC more fun than Brandish SNES. Are you playing it at max. speed?

>>1573182

Awesome Anon. Have a few sweet tunes from the PSP remake too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpd6TTqhtSo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VX9aF7mF48
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEMFOJntI0k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTzXH6f3-L4

The Felghana of Brandish.

[Anonymous No.1573710]

>>1573182
That's just the first track. You have to open the link in a new tab to get the whole playlist.

[Anonymous No.1574861]

>>1573607
Yeah, this times 100. If you aren't playing on the highest speed setting, you really aren't playing the same game. Also, you might be a little bitch.

Just kidding. I actually only accidentally stumbled onto this option when I decided to back-track to a much earlier level in the Ruins to buy something. So I turned up the speed to make the trip go faster and never looked back. It's the only way to play.

[Anonymous No.1574878]

>>1573607
From the thumb, I thought she had her titties out.

[Anonymous No.1574935]

>>1573607

The only thing that happens at higher speeds is enemies seem to counter attack you more frequently.

That's another thing that Brandish 2 is really putting me off with: There are so many goddamn enemies that block, it's not even funny

[Anonymous No.1576143]

>>1574935
Yeah, there are a lot more monsters than puzzles in this game, and it's also lot tougher than Brandish 1.

[Anonymous No.1576273]

>>1576143

It's not the increase of monsters that bugs me, it's how you fight them, attacking comes out so much slower, MP regens slower, etc.

[Anonymous No.1576451]

>>1576273
I liked that Brandish 2 SFC is even more action-focused than Brandish SNES. In some ways, enemies blocking your attacks makes the combat system more strategic, and plus you can always slow it down.

I never had a problem with B2 SFC's attacking, neither with the MP regeneration (I just use MP Potions if I ever need to use magic). Although to be honest, the combat system definitely feels more responsive on the original PC versions.

I don't know how to help you there Anon, but I really hope you end enjoying Brandish 2 SFC, even without the cutted content.

[Anonymous No.1576525]

>>1576451

It just feels like there's no real pattern to enemy attacks so it's usually me and my enemy staring eachother down, me taking an exploring swat at them, and then loading a savestate when I get ganked as Ares pulls his arm back.

I intend on seeing this game to the end, however, I need to make my way over to the tower with the goddess key, so I'm not sure how far in I am. I should point out I've been hoarding breakable weapons for money or during boss battles so I find myself fighting dudes with either two shields or what you got there, I still have that unbreakable short sword so I sometimes dual wield that with the great sword but I dislike getting hurt so badly.

[Anonymous No.1576525,1]

Hey, anybody know how to switch characters in Brandish 3?