Rank Difficulty of Your 1CCs

[wiNteR]

OK I think this is an interesting idea. I will give a short description of what it is supposed to be along with my own list. Basically you make a list of your own 1CCs and then arrange them in order of difficulty, by assigning a number to each game, which would then represent the difficulty. Now it's up to you whether you want to include all your clears or select a few games from the list. If you haven't cleared a game but just reached the last boss (in one credit of course) for example, you can add that too. However, make sure you mention that clearly in comments.

So, in short, you rank games in order of difficulty. However, any achievement you rank must have been achieved by you in the first place. Be sure to mention the particular progression or achievement in comments if it isn't a game clear.

A few other points that I would like to mention. About the scale; it's very difficult to have a linear scale. The one I used is just which I felt was simple and able to distinguish games. You are free to give an explanation for your scale. If there is a major difference in difficulty of survival in a game when playing for score, and you were playing for score, then feel free to mention it in comments. No miss no bomb bonus in cave games would be a very pertinent example.

I thought it would provide a interesting perspective. Also, in so many threads people are asking for easy game clears. So here they can probably get a good idea! Now the format I am using is which I felt would be easy enough to read. Any format is fine I guess, as long as it is clear enough.

Number - Game (Progress if required) - [Difficulty]
01) Perfect Cherry Blossom - [1]
02) Thunder Force 3 - [2]
03) Ayu in Space - [2]
04) DoDonPachi (1 Loop) - [3]
05) Batrider (Normal Course) - [4]
06) AeroBlaster - [5]
07) DonPachi (1 Loop) - [5]
08) GigaWing Generations - [6]
09) GigaWing [7]
10) ESP Galuda [7]
11) Gun Bird (1 Loop) [8]
12) Gradius-V (1 Loop) [8]
13) Strikers 1945-II (1 Loop) [9]
14) Progear (1 Loop) [9]
15) Raiden III [10]
16) Guwange [12]

Notes:
(01) Easy difficulty
(02) Some free game I played few years ago.
(06) Genesis version - Normal Difficulty
(14) difficulty=4
(15) PC version - Normal Difficulty

[Battletoad]

In every listed game, I played not for survival, but primarily for score. Especially Giga Wing 2 should be easier to 1CC if I´d just try to survive.

Notes to my personal difficulty scale:
I used a linear scale, numbers between 1 (easy) and 10 (hard).

Number - Game (Progress if required) - [Difficulty]
1) Thunder Force III - [1]
2) Axelay - [2]
3) Thunder Force IV - [3]
4) Zero Gunner 2 (1st Loop Clear) - [4]
5) Parodius Da! (1st Loop Clear) - [5]
6) Bio Hazard Battle - [5]
7) Giga Wing 2 (last boss, 3rd = last part) - [7]

[Elixir]

Ketsui - [5]

[EPS21]

Ketsui - [5]

I see what you did there

[Goshi]

I have a lot to list O_o

1 - Genetos (Normal)
Unsurprisingly easy.

2 - Hitogata Happa (Nobilmente)
Easy until the final stage. Kreutzer is a pain to take down. Especially since the new patch forces you to go through her horrible last phase. Arghhh....

3 - TWilight INSanity (Normal, using the Hoshimi Team)
Pretty tricky, especially if you're aiming for 6C since getting hit once almost screws you over.

4 - TWilight refrAIN (Normal, using the Mikahashi Sisters)
No different from TWINS.

5 - Alternate Sphere (Normal-, using both the Hoshimi Twins with Maiha and Bluebell=Anastasia with Maiha)
Surprisingly easier than the previous two despite the increased difficulty. I haven't played on Normal yet but I'm pretty sure Normal- and Normal are more or less the same.

6 - Gundeadligne (Normal, using Eryth with Matrix Diamond and Nagi with Murakumo)
Barring Lotus and the boss rush, not too bad. I can do it fairly easily with Eryth but with Nagi I usually lose. I only beaten her twice. Never fought her XXX form as Nagi.

7 - Gundemonium Recollection (Normal, using Eryth)
Again, barring Elixirel and Eresh ki Gal, the game isn't too bad. Its harder than Gundeadligne, that's for sure.

8 - Darius Burst (Normal, using the NEXT ship, against Hungry Gluttons)
Pretty easy compared to Darius Gaiden and G-Darius. However I can't beat the other 3 final bosses so easily. Dark Helios gives me the most problems in particular.

9 - Gradius Gaiden (Normal, using Jade Knight)
Still the best Gradius ever. Only Gradius V comes close.

10 - Oshaberi Parodius - Forever with Me (Normal, using Kid Dracula)
By far the best Parodius game besides Sexy Parodius.

11 - HELLSINKER (Distorted and Unplugged, using Mino Game)
Greatest doujin game OF ALL TIME.

12 - Royal Edoma Engine (Easy)
Embarrassing (Though considering the difficulty... maybe not so much), but I can't seem to destroy the killer wall on the second stage. As such I've never beaten the game on normal =(

13 - Perfect Cherry Blossom (Normal, using Sakuya A)
Not a huge Touhou fan, but this is the only Touhou game I ever bothered to 1CC (And complete it's extra stage as well). I find easier than the latest installments.

(01) Easy difficulty

[Klatrymadon]

I'll just list a handful of the older ones, on a scale of 1 to 10. These were played on default settings.

Gradius II [6]
NES Gradius II [3]
MSX Gradius II [6]
MSX Salamander [6]
Gradius V [6]
Parodius Da! [7]
Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius [4]
X-Multiply [6]
Layer Section [5]
Darius II [5]
Image Fight [7]
Raiden DX [9] - Full course. I don't know if anybody else found it this difficult. I suspect I'm a bit rubbish.
Metal Black [6]
R-Type II [7] - Mainly because of the fifth level. The rest isn't too hairy.

Sorry about all the sixes, but it's not as though this stuff is easily quantifiable. I've single-credited most of the Gradius games, and there are only a couple whose first and second loops I still find difficult, so I'm not sure if my ratings here would be at all useful to anybody looking to get into the series. At the moment I'm trying to single-credit RayStorm and the original Donpachi. I'm having a bit more trouble with the former than I normally do with Layer Section, but not too much. Donpachi is taking some serious practice, though - my game just starts to fall apart at around the start of level five, so at the moment I'd put that at about an 8, but it'll probably drop to a 6 once I have it under my belt and start encouraging pals to do it.

[Sasupoika]

I have to actually peek at 1cc thread to remember my 1cc's.

From hardest to easiest:

1. ESPra.de.
2. Mushihimesama arrange and maniac ( Ps2 )
3. Dodonpachi ( First loop )
4. Eden's Aegis original 0.5
5. Armed Police Batrider ( Normal course )
6. Touhou normals, hards and extras.
7. XOP Black on hard.
8. Blue Wish Resurrection heaven and original.

[wiNteR]

Sorry about all the sixes, but it's not as though this stuff is easily quantifiable.

Yeah, same number to two different games is fine, if you think that there isn't much difference between them. Also, I didn't use a scale from 0-10, because it feels too restrictive. I just came up with a new number every time I thought there was a (significant) difference between two games.

Between, I just wanted to point out that if someone wanted to be more specific about score based achievements, it should be easy to mention it. For example, playing Ikaruga purely for score or survival there would be a whole lot of difference. Someone playing for score might write something like:
Ikaruga (Normal; 20M) - [some number]

[EinhanderZwei]

Psychic Force [3]
*dramatic sigh*

[Ebbo]

Can't really remember all of them (although there isn't much to begin with):

1. Cho Ren Sha 68K (2nd loop) - [5]
The difficulty has been balanced really well. 2nd loop isn't that bad once you start stacking 1ups.

2. Guxt (1LC) - [4]
The score run was frustrating as hell. Not too hard though.

3. Soldier Blade - [3]
Some of the later stages and bosses require some practice but it's still rather forgiving.

4. Genetos (Creator) - [1]
Very easy to clear since the game is so generous with extends.

5. RefleX - [3]
"WHY DO I KEEP DYING AT THE LEVEL FOUR BOSS?!"

6. Eden's Aegis (1.00) - [3]
The slowdown is just ridiculous.

7. Ikaruga - [5]
I actually think that once I started to practice scoring/chaining it made 1CC much easier.

[Plasmo]

Armed Police Batrider (Normal Course) [1]
Batsugun (Normal) [1]
Batsugun (Special 3 loops) [1]
Dodonpachi (1st loop) [1]
Dodonpachi DOJ (1st loop) [1]
Donpachi (1st loop) [1]
Giga Wing 2 [1]
Gunbird (first loop) [1]
Ikaruga [1]
Mushihimesama (Maniac) [1]
Shikigami no Shiro [1]
Strikers 45 ii (first loop) [1]
Strikers 99 (first loop) [1]

Battle Garegga [2]
Homura [2]
Last Hope [2]
Radiant Silvergun (Arcade) [2]
Strikers 45 (first loop) [2]

Gunbird 2 (first loop) [3]
Ibara [3]

Just a selection, didn't bother listing Doujin stuff.
I don't think it's particularly difficult to 1cc any shmup (only first loop if it has more). The real difficulty comes from scoring.
1cc's which I consider to be really difficult are close to all 2-loop games and of course Mushi Ultra and Futari Ultra.
Otherwise the 1cc is barely a start.

[captpain]

I don't think it's particularly difficult to 1cc any shmup (only first loop if it has more). The real difficulty comes from scoring.
1cc's which I consider to be really difficult are close to all 2-loop games and of course Mushi Ultra and Futari Ultra.
Otherwise the 1cc is barely a start.

[1up]

Striker 1945 (Arcade) - 1cc first loop
- insanely hard (for me). Took me 2 goddamn cheating computer years to do.

Mushihimesama Futari 1.5 (X360/Novice) - Original, Maniac, Ultra
- cake walk compared to Strikers 1945

I admit that I suck but atleast I have a few 1cc's under my belt

[Skykid]

Plasmo, you're some kind of a shmup genius.

Mine:

- Steel Empire [1]
- Coryoon [1]
- Thunderforce 3 [2]
- Gleylancer [2]
- Mushihimesama Futari Black Label (Original) [2]
- Deathsmiles Mega Black Label [2]
- Harmful Park (Normal) [2]
- Ketsui Death Label (Very Hard) [4]
- Cho Ren Sha 68k [4]
- DoDonPachi [5]
- Batrider - Normal Course [5]
- Mushihimesama (Original) [6]
- Mushihimesama Futari 1.5 (Original) [6]
- Progear US [7]
- Progear JP [9]

[oli_lar]

I'll throw my paltry list in:

Harmful Park 3
Darius Burst 3 (last night, didn't loose a single life until the last boss, was only my 4th time playing it too).
Blue Wish Ressurection 3
Soldier Blade 4 (only have trouble with the last boss from what I remember, pretty easy otherwise)
Angel Dive 5
Hellhound 5

I think there are a few missing, think Gunhed is probably in there and some more X68000 titles, but I don't really keep a track of these things. I know I've gotten up to the last boss on Layer Section as well some time ago.

[saucykobold]

Neat thread. Here's what I came up with in a few minutes:

Darius Gaiden Extra [1]

Area 88 [2]

Gradius II (1 loop) [3]
Raiden DX (Novice) [3]

G-Darius (Omicron route) [4]

R-Type (2 loops) [5]

Gradius II (2 loops) [6]

Sexy Parodius (including Special Stage) [7]

Image Fight (2 loops + first Penalty Area) [8]

Raiden II (2 loops) [9]

Raiden DX (Expert 2 loops) [10]

Raiden DX (Training + Novice + Expert) [11]
I haven't come close to beating this last entry, but I thought I'd throw it in anyway.

[Wes112]

I only picked a couple 1CCs and used a linear scale as well (1)easy, 10(difficult). All on default difficulty.

Gradius [2]
Gradius II [5]
Gradius IV (1st loop) [8]
Gradius V (1st loop) [10] This game is so damn hard lol
Raiden IV (1st loop} [1]
Silver Surfer [8]
Thunder Force III [2]
Thunder Force IV [4]
Progear (1st loop) [6]
Dodonpachi (1st loop) [5]
Dodonpachi DOJ (1st loop) [9]
Ibara (Arrange Mode) [5]
Ikaruga [7]
Radiant Silvergun [7]
Border Down [8]
Sokyugurentai [7]

If I remember correctly, I played DDP DOJ, and Border Down for survival.