Rayforce, Layer Section, Galactic Attack (new thread)

[stratos]

Please post your scores in the new high score thread.




Pcb and Mame


1 - Ruldra - 5,307,200 - ALL - MAME (Inp file + emulator)
2 - Bill - 3,043,600 - Stage 6 (Inp file)
3 - Ruldra - 2,703,700 - Area 6 - MAME (INP File - recorded with WolfMAME Plus 106)
4 - LOU - 2,361,000 - Stage 6
5 - BonusJZ - 1,841,300 - Stage 5
6 - Enhasa - 1,704,000 - Stage 5
7 - The Coop - 1,556,200 - Stage 5
8 - Dave_K. - 1,274,400 - Area 4
9 - Ed Oscuro - 1,029,100 - Stage 3
10 - LGB - 755,500 - Stage 3
11 - kemical - 640,100 - Stage 3


Saturn (default difficulty)


1 - ben.shinobi - 5.156.000 - ALL (replay at http://www.super-play.co.uk/ )
2 - FSR - 3,626,700 - Area 7 (pic: http://img216.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 006vl8.jpg)
3 - JL - 2,761,100 - Stage 7
4 - zinger - 2,613,600 - Stage 6
5 - stuminator - 2,542,800 - Stage 6
6 - 99pence - 1,977,600 - Area 6
7 - MOSQUITO FIGHTER - 1,490,300 - Area 5
8 - AVE - 1,261,800 - Stage 4
9 - ED-057 - 1,206,500 - area 4
10 - Shatterhand - 1,077,100 - Stage 4


Players that didn't specify version


Overdrive - 1,327,600 - Stage 4
Tar-Palantir - 659,000 - Stage 3


Welcome to the new Rayforce scoreboard! Under agreement from Randorama I'll take the maintenence of the Rayforce scoreboard and I will continue his much appreciated work from what he left: the creation of two separate scoreboards, one for pcb and mame players (all versions accepted) and another for Saturn player (as said before, all versions allowed).


I will also introduce a new set of rules to make the competition a bit more serious and give high skilled players the recognition they deserve.


Rules:


1 - Settings for the competition


Players will compete onto two separate scoreboards, one for pcb and mame players (all versions) and another for Saturn players (all version); the settings must be full defaults in both cases, just because the most of the players that used Saturn in the old scoreboard played always on full defaults. The Saturn version is considered easier than pcb counterpart, hence the need of running the competition onto two different boards. I will introduce a third scoreboard for Saturn hard 1 or hard 2 difficulty players on a polite and motivated request.


2 - One credit rule


All the players are not allowed to continue, they can only post scores obtained in their first credit play.


3 - Score format


All your scores must to be posted following this format:

Code: Select all

Name - score - stage reached - version (just specify pcb, mame or Saturn)

For stage reached, write "ALL" if you beat the last boss, write "Stage 7" if you reached stage 7 without beating the last boss.


Scores posted in other formats or lacking one of the four voices requested will be ignored (I will remember you to specify the not mentioned information). And please, use commas to indicate thousands


Also, the players that did not specified the version on the old thread, have to post their old score in the correct format to be included in the right scoreboard. Otherwise, thier scores will be ignored for competition and included in a dedicated board, until they don't specify. Sorry guys, but it is necessary to include you in the right board.


4 - Score validation


Being so much few players interested in playing this game, score validation will be requested only for scores that will give you the third, second or first position. In order to validate scores, pcb and Saturn users have to post a pic of their score, in wich name and score (not necessarily stage reached) are clearly recognizeable; mame players will have to post an inp file recorded with Wolfmame (any version) and specify the version of the emulator they used. Otherwise, your score will be ignored and you will be politely encouraged to validate it. This rule is not retroactive, so player that didn't validate scores in the old board will not be asked to validate, but I'll specify next to their scores that they didn't yet, so they coul'd validate in the future; the matter is that we have too few scores right now, but we can discuss about it and eventually change this point of the rule. Also, if more player will join the competition, we will discuss the possibility to extend the score validation range to lower positions.


5 - The last, HF rule


Have Fun!


P.s.: feel free to submit any suggestion, we will discuss and eventually change rules, introduce new ones or suppress current.

[stuminator]

Slight improvement:

stuminator - 2,542,800 - Stage 6 - Saturn

I just picked up a digital camera and can provide a pic:

[stratos]

Updated!

I just picked up a digital camera and can provide a pic

Thank you for providing the pic


And congrats for your improvement

[JL]

Hi, I can't play games at home these days. But I can at least get a pic. Thanks.

JL - 2,761,100 - Stage 7 - Saturn

[The Coop]

The Coop - 1,556,200 - Stage 5 - MAME

[stratos]

Scores updated!

Hi, I can't play games at home these days. But I can at least get a pic. Thanks

Thanks to you, JL, for your effort: it is much appreciated Hope you are comfortable with the new rules, if you want to give this game another try, but if you or other guys want to discuss I'm at your disposal Thanks also for specifying version: now, you are in the Saturn board, in the first place, congrats


@The Coop: welcome

[zinger]

My score is from the Saturn version, all defaults except for TATE (it makes quite a big difference on scoring, which should be kept in mind).

[stratos]

My score is from the Saturn version, all defaults except for TATE (it makes quite a big difference on scoring, which should be kept in mind).

Yes, if you play in YOKO mode you can't lock many enemies that are actually out of the visible area. Thanks for specification, I'll update the boards immediately.


EDIT: Updated!

[BIL]

Back in the saddle, albeit about four months later than I said I'd be. Had a pretty good first run and beat my old best (without recording an input file, unfortunately; didn't think I'd get much past 2 mil this evening). I realise now I was letting a ton of points go in earlier rounds, so I'll beat this score and record an input file this week for sure.

Screencap

[ave]

My score was with the PAL Saturn-Version.

As soon as I can get the jpn version Layer Section I'll try to get a better score.

[BIL]

Made another small improvement and cracked the 3 million range. Also discovered, to my relief / chagrin that there's no extend waiting for me at that plateau, but oh well. WolfMAME seems to drop my average emulator speed from 99.90 to somewhere in the low 90s, so I'll have to screw around with various config settings a bit to record an input file. It doesn't seem to have the -refreshspeed switch, which keeps my LCD monitor in line with vanilla MAME.

Something kind of bothers me about MAMEd Rayforce to start with... the stage 3 miniboss (that multi-armed ship fought right at the start) has his twin green laser attack rendered nonexistent, seemingly in all versions of the emulator. I don't think he's that big a deal; I ripped him a new ass on my first attempt in Taito Legends' "Gunlock" on Hard 2. I see now that I'm actually destroying one of the cannons before it can shoot, anyway. But it's enough to make me accept MAME isn't 100% in line with the pcb defaults (I hope nothing else was nerfed, though I've seen no mention whatsover of there being so). I'd play the TL2 version, only I've no clue how or if it's even possible to match the Japanese Rayforce defaults.

Not sure if anyone really cares enough for this to affect the score table, but I thought I may as well mention it. I'm going to look around at other emulators that support RF... I'll probably end up buying the PCB at some point, if it's a universal glitch. Not that I'd have any idea what I'd be doing there. >_>

[stratos]

Ok, I included aventus in the right scoreboard.


@Bill: I'm sorry to read you are having trouble with wolfmame emulation. Rayforce is not very well emulated by mame and also it can give you prblems of low speed.

Not sure if anyone really cares enough for this to affect the score table, but I thought I may as well mention it

I care it, you did right to mention it. But obviously it is nothing we can do to improve the situation, and I want to let everyone to compete in this game to have big fun. If you have some ideas you can post them and I'll be glad to discuss them, like the use of other emulators similar to wolfmame.


However if you are sure that the Gunlock version of TL is not hard as the PCB version, I coul'd consider it similar to the Saturn version, and include your TL scores in the Saturn board. Let me know what you think.


And also, sorry if I replied so late, I apologise

[BIL]

And also, sorry if I replied so late, I apologise

No problem, man! Took me much longer than a few days to get back to this game.

I'm gonna do some reading about TL2 Gunlock vs Rayforce this week (maybe it's not that big a difference). Also I'll look around at other emus that might support RF. I might be able to get WolfMAME running smoothly with a little luck too. Either way I'll keep trying at RF and hopefully post a replay of some kind soon.

I need to work on just surviving Stages 6 and 7 too. I have a bad habit of becoming obsessed with scoring before I can actually clear a shooter's first loop! I think at this point I could get around 5 mil, considering I'm at 3 by the early part of Stage 6. Only time will tell. =)

[stratos]

I'm gonna do some reading about TL2 Gunlock vs Rayforce this week (maybe it's not that big a difference). Also I'll look around at other emus that might support RF. I might be able to get WolfMAME running smoothly with a little luck too. Either way I'll keep trying at RF and hopefully post a replay of some kind soon.

The reason why I choose wolfmame is that this emulator doesn't support save state and/or cheats during recording. So I posted this rule in order to avoid much fake scores possible, like it happened on this forum time ago. Not that I take this competition too much seriously but, frankly: a bit of seriousness is required if you want to get fun seriously


Obviously, if this rule can cut interested players like you out of the games, I'll change it, because it's much more important that we all play and discuss about games we like than we struggle for a bunch of points more. So, if you manage to produce an inp file with wolfmame and you post it with the emulator you used I'll keep the rule intact, but if you will encouter problems I'll cancel it.


Usless to say that I encourage serious player to use wolfmame, like MARP guys do.

I'm gonna do some reading about TL2 Gunlock vs Rayforce this week (maybe it's not that big a difference)

Much appreciated, post here your comments so we can include also these versions in the scoreboard and increase the number of potential players.

I need to work on just surviving Stages 6 and 7 too. I have a bad habit of becoming obsessed with scoring before I can actually clear a shooter's first loop! I think at this point I could get around 5 mil, considering I'm at 3 by the early part of Stage 6. Only time will tell. =)

Lol I think this game is hard to clear even if you don't go for score in the last stages! When I played Layer Section on Saturn a few months ago, I played for score in the first two stages, then did only a few tricks in third, played the fourth only for survival and did some tricks on the fifth. If I wes lucky to get to stage six, I died in different ways in the second half of the stage. At this point I think it woul'd be useful to credit feed the game 'till the end in order to start pattern study for sixth boss and last stage. Obviously, the rank will be very low, but the pattern are at least similar in geometry to high rank ones.


Ah, and a big thank to Spoilerama for spoilering the ending of the game in his strategy faq


But also thanks for writing a very good review and strategy faq![/b]

[Enhasa]

Enhasa - 1,704,000 - Stage 5 - MAME

I think I'll try recording if I make it to top 3. I use MAME32++ .117 though (I don't like to use multiple MAME versions since you have to have different rom sets and it's annoying, and I use this version to play online with kaillera), so I wouldn't enjoy switching, but I could do it.

BTW thanks Randorama, your ST was great. All I knew back in the day for scoring was: lock on lasers bonus and vaguely how the rank worked.

[stratos]

@Enhasa: ok, now you're in.

I think I'll try recording if I make it to top 3. I use MAME32++ .117

I suggest you to record every run you do on a game you like and you plan to play often (on MAME): it may appear a bit complicated, but I assure you it is not. I'm doing it in a memorial videogame tournament these days and it works great. I'll explain my personal "technique" to recording and keeping of my MAME runs:


1) you start recording session without giving your inp file a specific name: mame will name it as "romname.inp";

2) at the end of your run, you take note of your score on paper;

3) you quit recording mode, go to the inp files window and rename your inp file according to this format: player name - rom name - score - stage reached - Wolfmame version;

4) now you keep opened the inp file window and record your next run without giving your inp file a specific name: mame will name it as "romname.inp" without overwriting the one you renamed;

5) you take note of your score on paper so you can compare it to your previous score you noted on the same piece of paper;

6) if the new score is better than the previous you rename the file with the new data, otherwise you can start a new recording session with the default inp file name: MAME will overwrite the one you didn't renamed, and you don't have to rename file everytime you get a bad score.


Obviously, you coul'd keep every interesting replay you did even if it wasn't good in terms of score, and you can rename it with a brief description.


So, this method is very simple and comfortable because you have to rename only the files you're interested in, and MAME will automatically name as "romname.inp" every run you start recording.


Obviously, if anyone coul'd record runs from consoles or pcb's without lag problems I suggest to find similar run keeping routines to keep track of their efforts, because unfortunately we can't enjoy good arcades to share the fun of the good old and new shooting games: very sad.


Speaking about score validation: for now, I accept only Wolfmame inp files, because Wolf prevents you to use save states or cheats during recording. Obviously, as I stated before, we can change this rule after a polite discussion: I think my rules are good ones, because they try to avoid fake scores, but:


1) they are obviously not perfect because I am a human being, so I'm not perfect myself and coul'd do (a lot) of mistakes;

2) the fact that I take maintenence of this board doesn't mean that it is mine.


So don't be shy: make your requests and suggestions and let's discuss

[Enhasa]

Ok, thanks for the writeup. I'll use Wolfmame then for when I'm recording.

[BIL]

All right! Got WolfMAME running at a steady 100% while recording. I'm glad that's out of the way, being unable to record input files is a drag.

---

Bill - 3,043,600 - Stage 6 - MAME

Screencap

Input File for WolfMAME 0.115 (command line used: mame rayforcj -video ddraw -multithreading -joystick -record rfbill33)

RAR containing the above three items for long-term storage

---

Normally I'd try to get my score much higher than my previous best, but I just want to get a verified score for myself on this table. It's been ages. Lots of silly mistakes in this run, along with a few good lessons learned, so I'll be able to improve for sure.

I didn't find any information on Gunlock VS Rayforce, so far. I'll keep looking about, though; if it turns out GL is equal to (or maybe even a little harder than) RF, I'll ask to switch over. Otherwise I guess we'll just have to accept that MAME players like me get off easy on that ST3 midboss, and are competing at a slightly lower level. I don't think it's much of an issue; his finger lasers are far more dangerous, in my opinion. He's still got those at least! But every little thing counts in games like this, of course.

I watched Fukuda's 9 million replay, with the exception of the final boss (as I want no hints on surviving that monster). Didn't notice any other differences besides the Stage 3 midboss, so hopefully that's the extent of Rayforce's MAME issues.

[stratos]

All right! Got WolfMAME running at a steady 100% while recording. I'm glad that's out of the way, being unable to record input files is a drag.

---

Bill - 3,043,600 - Stage 6 - MAME

Screencap

Input File for WolfMAME 0.115 (command line used: mame rayforcj -video ddraw -multithreading -joystick -record rfbill33)

RAR containing the above three items for long-term storage

I use MAME32, so coul'd you help me how to use MAME under dos? I encountered these problems:


1) I'm supposed to run the batch "playback" file and to use the command line: mame gamename -playback filename. But When I run the batch file, the script screen appear just for a brief moment, then desappear.


2) where I have to place romfiles?


3) I can't open the file "rfbill33", it says it is an unsupported archive, and it is strange because I use 7zip.


I didn't had this problem with your old inp file because, since it was on the old board, I thought Rando already verified it. I'm sorry for this negligence: I've been very superficial on this matter and I hope you are not upset for this. I'll try my best to learn how to verify all the inp file I get on this board also on DOS Wolfmame.

[BIL]

I didn't had this problem with your old inp file because, since it was on the old board, I thought Rando already verified it. I'm sorry for this negligence: I've been very superficial on this matter and I hope you are not upset for this. I'll try my best to learn how to verify all the inp file I get on this board also on DOS Wolfmame.

No worries, man. I'm new to command line MAME myself, but I think we can work out all the issues you mention quite easily.

First of all, the most important thing; I don't use DOS at all to run MAME or WolfMAME; both programs will run from Windows' "Command Prompt" program perfectly.

I use MAME32, so coul'd you help me how to use MAME under dos? I encountered these problems:


1) I'm supposed to run the batch "playback" file and to use the command line: mame gamename -playback filename. But When I run the batch file, the script screen appear just for a brief moment, then desappear.

For standard MAME and WolfMAME, here's how I run both programs:

1) Go the the command prompt (Start Menu --> All Programs --> Accessories --> Command Prompt).



2) Switch to your MAME folder (CD\MAME122 for example; you can find out the location in Windows by right-clicking the folder, and going to "Properties").

Once you're in the MAME folder, you just type "mame -romname." For example "mame rayforcj" to run Rayforce (since Rayforce's US version is its parent ROM, you'll need Gunlock as well). If you type "mame -showusage," you'll get a large list of command line options, which you simply attach like this: "mame rayforcj -option1 -option2," and so on.

Now, as for viewing input files: I tried opening my "rfbill33" file in both standard MAME and MAME32 (both the newest versions), but neither would run it. It seems you must use WolfMAME to view the file (it works perfectly there). To do this, you just go to the WolfMAME folder in Command Prompt and type:

"mame -rayforcj -playback rfbill33 (or the name of any other input file, which should all be placed in WolfMAME's "inp" folder). You can add any other options to the command line too, for example I need to use "-video ddraw" to get a stable framerate.


This seems to be all there is to it. I've not tried using the batch file for playback, myself; if you need to use it, let me know and I'll try it out.

2) where I have to place romfiles?

Both standard MAME and WolfMAME will create a roms folder, after you install them; any roms you're going to use go there.

3) I can't open the file "rfbill33", it says it is an unsupported archive, and it is strange because I use 7zip.

This one is easy; you should use WinRAR (downloadable from http://www.rarlab.com). It's a very common and useful program which can open 7zip files with no problem, as well as RAR files of course.

Try this stuff out and let me know how it goes, and feel free to ask any other questions you have!

[stratos]

Thank you Bill, you were very kind to explain me how to do it: so I have to use the OS command prompt. I thought I had to start a command prompt by double clicking on the mame icon Perfect, now I managed to boot the rayforce rom. So I think I shouldn't have troubles in viewing inp, because it's only a matter of inputting the right commands with the command prompt. Also, I suppose I can start the batch files from the prompt, just for personal comfort. I'll experiment some things...


Now, the real problem is the inp file: I have both winrar and 7zip on my pc, but I can't open it with either program. It says the archive is corrupted or unknowned. Coul'd you try to upload .inp and .wlf files separetedly without compressing them?


thanks!

[BIL]

You're welcome, I'm glad my post helped you.

As for the RAR archive, it may have gotten corrupted during uploading somehow. But anyway, I only uploaded it because Sendspace tends to delete files very quickly. You should be able to download both the input file and the WolfMAME installer from the two links in that same post (the line right under "Screencap"); they're both uncompressed, so there shouldn't be any trouble with unzipping them. If they don't work for any reason, let me know and I'll reupload them to a different host.

[stratos]

Scores updated


@Bill: I managed to run your replay so I validated your score. I think that third stage midboss issue coul'd be important in a serious competition because there are players that have trouble with that fiend in the pcb or Saturn version (that is even harder than pcb in that specific point because the rank seems to grow up faster due to lower extends), but I think that making differences between pcb and mame users woul'd be exhagerated, since there is only that problem, as you pointed in earlier posts.


I'll post some comment about your run in the afternoon (I live in Italy so the fuse shoul'd be similar ). See you later...

[BIL]

Great, glad the input worked! It's the first time I've used WolfMAME to record, so I was a bit unsure.

I hadn't thought about how the Saturn's lower extend score would affect rank; that's a very good point about the Stage 3 miniboss. As for PCB vs MAME, though, I agree with you that it's not a big deal. I was feeling kind of cheap about it, but not now. Even if I pretend the lasers are there, I always destroy one before it fires and have no reason to go near the other. Maybe if you had to stay between the beams, it'd be different; but there's zero reason to do that.

As for the run itself, Stage 4 remains very tough for me. It feels like I can go from doing well to getting killed in a split-second, I need to get it down. I'm gradually getting more confident about going for big chains in that stage.

I'm sure you noticed a couple of very foolish deaths at the end of Stage 4 and start of Stage 5. As I said, I just wanted to verify a 3 mil+ score, then work on getting it higher. If there is one strategy I have in mind, it's killing the Stage 4 boss the "cheap" way (blowing up his arms). I have a hard time surviving the full battle at high rank, and dying there will cause you to miss a lot of easy 8-chains in Stage 5 (due to your laser being dropped one level). I might just kill him the easy way for now to get more points in Stage 5, and work on beating him properly later.

This weekend I'm going to concentrate on getting to Stage 6 without losing any lives (I've done this a couple of times in the past). I'm sure I can 1CC Rayforce eventually, but it's the type of shooter where there's little you can do to save yourself if you get caught sleeping.

[SpooN]

Sorry to hijack the highscore thread but since you're discussing how to play:
I have Layer Section for the PC but it runs way too fast in XP. Does anyone know of an easy way (I certainly don't want to install win98) to fix this problem?
And if so is there a big difference in the versions?

[stratos]

Ok, it's not exactly afternoon however:

I hadn't thought about how the Saturn's lower extend score would affect rank; that's a very good point about the Stage 3 miniboss. As for PCB vs MAME, though, I agree with you that it's not a big deal. I was feeling kind of cheap about it, but not now. Even if I pretend the lasers are there, I always destroy one before it fires and have no reason to go near the other. Maybe if you had to stay between the beams, it'd be different; but there's zero reason to do that.

Also, I think we shoul'd bother with this things regarding high score runs, and if you can score three+ millions with this game there is no way I think you cannot destroy that miniboss easily.

Stage 4 remains very tough for me. It feels like I can go from doing well to getting killed in a split-second, I need to get it down. I'm gradually getting more confident about going for big chains in that stage.

Yes, stage four is difficult. But I see you have troubles in the section with the hordes of small drones that "rain" down from side to side: that section it's not hard as it seems, there is an easy strategy to deal with it. I don't remind it very well, but you coul'd easily figure out yourself by watching the Ben Shinobi replay on superplay.co.uk. It helped me very much. Also, if you manage to score some cool chains in stage four you have all my esteem And also in stage three. This is an hard game, the strategies to score well and survive are very strict in later levels, and also very difficult to perform.

I'm sure you noticed a couple of very foolish deaths at the end of Stage 4 and start of Stage 5. As I said, I just wanted to verify a 3 mil+ score, then work on getting it higher. If there is one strategy I have in mind, it's killing the Stage 4 boss the "cheap" way (blowing up his arms). I have a hard time surviving the full battle at high rank, and dying there will cause you to miss a lot of easy 8-chains in Stage 5 (due to your laser being dropped one level). I might just kill him the easy way for now to get more points in Stage 5, and work on beating him properly later.

Yes, I noticed: that miss at Odin was amazing The problem is that this is a game in wich you pilot a ship slow as a snail with huge hitbox, so if you lose concentration for a brief moment and don't anticipate the enemy bullet you are dead. Also, even if it isn't a complete milking, I appreciated your stage four boss milking! But I agree with you that is better to work on stage 5 strategy before attempting a partial or complete fourth boss milking, that we shoul'd consider as an advanced technique.

This weekend I'm going to concentrate on getting to Stage 6 without losing any lives (I've done this a couple of times in the past). I'm sure I can 1CC Rayforce eventually, but it's the type of shooter where there's little you can do to save yourself if you get caught sleeping.

Lol it is what I just said I think you can 1CC Rayforce, and that you shoul'd aim to this goal, I think it is the best way to build up your score gradually in a game like this. It isn't Cave game, you have a rank that increment with survival time, and the scoring system is based on small and separated chains, so once you can clear the game consistently (possibly no miss) you can learn a new chain per time and add it to your runs, to obtain better and better scores, without gaining too much frustration because even if you fail to place that combo, you can always obtain a completion and save your self-esteem

Sorry to hijack the highscore thread but since you're discussing how to play:
I have Layer Section for the PC but it runs way too fast in XP. Does anyone know of an easy way (I certainly don't want to install win98) to fix this problem?
And if so is there a big difference in the versions?

Oh, I'd like to see more players involved in this board, so it woul'd be great to solve this problem. I don't know if there are softwares that can adjust system speed; for now, you shoul'd open a post in the off topic section to see if other user that don't follow this thread can help you, while I try to post also on AEX forum to see if my friends can help you.


Then, we shoul'd compare this version with mame or pcb one to choose in wich section include your (and other pc players') scores. I'll also include this in the rules.

[BIL]

Sorry to hijack the highscore thread but since you're discussing how to play:
I have Layer Section for the PC but it runs way too fast in XP. Does anyone know of an easy way (I certainly don't want to install win98) to fix this problem?
And if so is there a big difference in the versions?

I'm running XP too, so I tried out the LS PC port just now. The framerate seemed fine (though the resolution wasn't; it was confined to a small square on a black screen, though still quite playable). Sorry, but I don't know why it'd run too quickly. I tried increasing / decreasing my monitor's refresh rate, but it didn't seem to have any effect on LS's framerate.

As for how it compares to the Saturn and PCB / MAME versions, it seems to be based on the Saturn port (the "about" section of the options says this, too). Extends are at 500,000 rather than 1mil, and it seems to be stuck in Yoko screen mode (which affects scoring, since enemies you'd normally be able to see are cut off the screen). I don't see any way to make it run in Tate like the Saturn LS can, unfortunately. It seems it's an almost perfect equivalent to the Saturn's Yoko mode.

Yes, stage four is difficult. But I see you have troubles in the section with the hordes of small drones that "rain" down from side to side: that section it's not hard as it seems, there is an easy strategy to deal with it. I don't remind it very well, but you coul'd easily figure out yourself by watching the Ben Shinobi replay on superplay.co.uk. It helped me very much. Also, if you manage to score some cool chains in stage four you have all my esteem Very Happy And also in stage three. This is an hard game, the strategies to score well and survive are very strict in later levels, and also very difficult to perform.

You're absolutely right, those swarms are my most dreaded obstacle (they're a problem in Stage 6 too). I've watched Ben Shinobi and Fukuda's replays, so it's more a lack of technique rather than lack of knowledge on my part. I need to practice drawing their fire for sure. In the replay I submitted, my mistake was thinking (or to be more honest, praying!) the swarm was over before it really was, so there's some memorising to do as well.

edit: tiny improvement this morning, though I won't bother submitting it as it was just a quick run before going out. Once I really hit my limit with this game I'm sure even such small improvements will be valuable, but this was just the result of being a bit braver in Stage 3. ^_^

[stratos]

As for how it compares to the Saturn and PCB / MAME versions, it seems to be based on the Saturn port (the "about" section of the options says this, too). Extends are at 500,000 rather than 1mil, and it seems to be stuck in Yoko screen mode (which affects scoring, since enemies you'd normally be able to see are cut off the screen). I don't see any way to make it run in Tate like the Saturn LS can, unfortunately. It seems it's an almost perfect equivalent to the Saturn's Yoko mode.

This is a serious problem: I think that it's near impossible to play for score on a yoko Saturn mode. I suggst SpooN to swich to mame version or to afford a cheap copy of the Saturn port to play in tate. I think it is the worst yoko mode I've ever seen, worst than those ugly stretched ones...

[P_HAT]

So, you can't turn pc version to tate mode?

[CIT]

1 - ben.shinobi - 5.156.000 - ALL (didn't validate)

The replay of this run is up on SuperPlay.co.uk

Might as well count it as validated.