[DF] [PSX] Silhouette Mirage [シルエットミラージュ] (JPN)

[JohnLukePacard]

This is one of those things where maybe one person will want this but it was such a grueling and soulcrushing quest (even armed with the correct filename as I am now, I would dread having to find a working link again); if I can save even one person from that hell then it will have been worth it. If you want the US PSX or the Saturn version you're only about 30 seconds of Googling away from finding them (I just found the Saturn ISO and it downloaded as fast as it would from most premium file hosts) so I see no need to post them here.

Game Information
Japanese Title: シルエットミラージュ
English Title: Silhouette Mirage
Developer: Treasure
Publisher: Entertainment Software Publishing
Genre: side-scrolling shooter
Platforms: Sega Saturn, PSX
Released: July 23, 1998 (JP PSX)
Format: BIN/CUE
File Name: Silhouette Mirage (J) (ACT) (Treasure).bin, Silhouette Mirage (J) (ACT) (Treasure).cue
BIN Size: 613 MB
Packed Size: 405 MB
File Hashes: (see attached .txt)
Catalog No: SLPS-01449
Official Site: http://www.treasure-inc.co.jp/products/lp/silmila/sil_tit_ps.html (in Japanese)

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR5tDS5odQQ (this is actually the Saturn version, but I could only find English PSX videos and the Saturn and Japanese PSX versions are supposedly nearly identical)

RyuShare (single file)

http://ryushare.com/567e31b9c75d/Silhouette_Mirage_(J)_(ACT)_(Treasure).rar

RyuShare (split archive)

http://ryushare.com/54ac8870540e/Silhouette_Mirage_(J)_(ACT)_(Treasure).part1.rar
http://ryushare.com/54ac8870540f/Silhouette_Mirage_(J)_(ACT)_(Treasure).part2.rar
http://ryushare.com/55955d14b4f0/Silhouette_Mirage_(J)_(ACT)_(Treasure).part3.rar

DepositFiles

http://depositfiles.com/files/z4tadqmbn

This games deal is that it first came out on the Saturn, was ported (quite well especially in comparison to other ports apparently) to the PSX and the PSX version was later localized by Working Designs. I haven't played the localized version but apparently WD did rather well at setting of a benchmark of how not to localize a game. The unfortunate side effect is that no fans ever bothered to make a translation patch and the gameplay changes WD made make any English guides, FAQs, walkthroughs, etc. largely irrelevant. If you're super stuck and can only find references to the localized version check out the "Import vs. Domestic" quote at the end of this post to get a feel for the differences. Supposed the Japanese PS1 version is very similar to the Saturn one so I attached a guide for the Saturn version. I also attached a script; it's the WD translation which I've heard is everything from terrible to fantastic. At the very least I know it cuts back on the biblical references so I changed the WD names back to the correct more biblical versions. This game is mostly relevant as being the spiritual predecessor to Ikaruga and even hardcore Treasure fans tend admit it's kinda meh. Still, the story is rather engrossing and the gameplay is just good enough that it's probably worth a play. For bonus cool points run it on your Android device with a Dualshock3 Controller (runs perfect on my Galaxy SII and Nexus 10 using FPse and Sixaxis Controller)


As always, feel free to request additional hosts and let me know if you run into any problems. Unless those problems are about being stuck in the game because I guarantee if you are running the game you have at least tied my skill level.

And finally, here's a comparison of the Japanese and English versions from a site that I don't think exists anymore (I had to get it from the Way Back Machine):

Import vs Domestic

Here's where we run in to trouble. The domestic version is very cheap and fairly easy to find, and it's how most people are exposed to Silhouette Mirage. Working Designs is legendary/notorious for going that "extra mile" when localizing games. Unfortunately in this case it means a good deal of tampering that we would have been better off without as well.

On the up side, WD added some nice loading screens, a new Shyna vs Zohar mini-game, re-encoded the intro to look very lovely. Also added was optional analog control, which I don't use, but it's nice to have. It's a very polished localization, and they certainly didn't rush or skimp. Unfortunately that's about all they did right

As a translation, WD's effort is a C-. The story is mostly intact. As per usual, WD has inserted alot of jokes that weren't in the original, but given the lighthearted and humorous nature of the game, I don't have a problem with this. In fact, most of these jokes are very funny, as is the mostly great (but sometimes annoying) voice work. But where WD screws up, ironically, is that their translation is simply poor and amaturish in many places.

Silhouette Mirage has a strong biblical theme throughout, which Working Designs not only didn't translate, but simply didn't seem to pick up on. Many names are awkward phoenetic mistranslations of their intented names, and others are changed for no apparent reason, while some are left intact. Gregory is changed to "Grigg". Delilah is changed to Delia. Paulo is changed to Pablo, Dunamis is now Dynamis. These seem lke errors to me. Then there are the bizzare like Balchus being changed to "Nardo". But Goliath, Sarah, etc are left alone. The biblical theme is also carried over tot he weapons, which are named for the seven deadly sins (with vowels tacked on the end); Slotha, Pridee, Gluttonee, Angera, Envya, Covetousu, and Lusti. In Working Designs' version these become Surosa, Priday, Grattoni, Angara, Envia, Cavitas, and Rasti. I don't get the feeling that this was done for censorship purposes. I think they just didn't know what they were doing.

But all of that would be pretty forgivable if the game itself was left intact. Sadly, this isn't the case. Working Designs, as they are known to do, decided to make the game harder. This wouldn't be so bad (it might even be good) if it was handled intelligently by, say, increasing the amount of damage enemies deal, or reducing the number of continues. But instead WD opted to make the game more difficult by tampering with the gameplay itself. First, they altered the system so the firing actually drains your spirit. They tried to balance this out by giving you the ability to absorb the spirit of enemies of the same attribute. This just made the fighting more drawn out by forcing the player to drain enemies before killing them. It also made it impossible to maintain a maxed out weapon. The second major change was that they inflated the cost of weapons in the shops. This had two effects: First, you had to methodically cash bash as many enemies as possible to get enough money to get a decent weapon. Second, it means it's not really practical to get weapons you don't need. So it effectively forces the player to pick a favorite weapon and stick with it, rather than having a few and picking the best one for each fight. The end result of these challenges is not just a more difficult game, but a slower, more methodical, and more tedious one.

Bottom line: Is it worth the extra money and effort to get one of the japanese versions? I would say so. While I still enjoyed the domestic version when I first played it (prior to have played either import), the japanese versions are simply much better paced. It's not completely ruined, but as I said it's just a much slower, more deliberate game and not the fast-moving action game that it was.