Weekly Online Shmeet #3 (Gradius)

Tomtom · Post by **Tomtom** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 6:45 pm

AWJ wrote:AWJ - 208,600 - 1-4 - MAME
You get through it by not cowering at the left edge of the screen like a chicken You want to destroy every turret as soon as it scrolls into view, which requires staying in the middle of the screen, if not further to the right.

Stage 4 punishes cowardice even more harshly--all the turrets and duckers will completely overwhelm you with bullets if you don't destroy them very promptly, and the small speedbump-like embankments on the ground block your missiles if you stay on the left. You have to rush the turrets and drop your missiles directly on top of them.

Ahh, well I was trying to take out all the turrets across all of the screens and in the process got shoved further and further to the left, so don't get presumptuous now. But this works. Anyway, slight improvement.

Tomtom - 1-4 - 192,000

EDIT: OK, the 160k score is new. I love 1-4! I just got caught up at the overhanging volcano. I'm liking this game more the more I play it.

Edit again: 188,400 now.

Edit again: 192,000. Man, those flying mini-volcanoes are a bitch no matter what game they're in.

punkfox · Post by **punkfox** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 6:49 pm

1-lifed my way up to 2-1 and let a rogue bullet take me out. Ah well, I'll take the SLC.

Punkfox - 460,700 - 2-1 -MAME

Edge · Post by **Edge** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 10:20 pm

Have tryed to play Nemesis so far.

Ok, now trying to play the real "Gradius".
Extends: 30k - 80k and normal setting.

ArrogantBastard · Post by **ArrogantBastard** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 11:32 pm

Great. I can't participate in this. My MAME auditor now tells me that Gradius file has "failed" the audit check. I tried fixing it by replacing the file, still doesn't work.

Damn it.

Edit: \/\/ Thanks, Shatterhand. Fixed.

Post by **Shatterhand** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 1:14 am

Do you have nemesis?

Gradius is a clone of Nemesis... Gradius will not work (And the audit will fail) if you don't also have Nemesis.

My new score:

Shatterhand - 335700 - 1-7 - MAME

I changed my technique, now I just grab all power ups... managed to milk the meteors in 1-1, and 1 life up until 1-4, where I just die before reaching the volcano, and proceed to lose another 2 or 3 lives in this stage. 1-5 and 1-6 are easy, then 1-7 kick my ass.

I still can't see how Laser is more useful than Double in 1-3 and 1-4, I NEED double in those levels. I think double will be better in 1-7 too.

I also refined my changing weapons strategy, I always leave the power at either LASER or DOUBLE when I am fully powered (I never use the shield) , so I can quickly change my weapon if needed.

punkfox · Post by **punkfox** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 1:45 am

It depends on how you play 1-3. While Double really helps when taking out the Moai's rings, I sometimes found it easier to take down a slew of Moai and ring attacks with Laser too. Maybe it's just me. :-p

1-4, however, is where Double counts. If I don't have Double when I get to the boss, I'm guaranteed to bite a bullet. 1-7, too.

And personally, I can't see myself not using Shield, especially in 1-7. The bulletspray is just ridiculous in the first half of the stage.

Post by **Shatterhand** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 1:53 am

Maybe now that I've reached 1-7, I may change my "shield politics"..

.

But I notice everytime I get the shield, the number of bullets on screen is at least 3 times bigger than the normal, and I end up dying by a bullet coming from an angle the shield won't absorb. So I prefer to just use my mad dodging skills

Ramus · Post by **Ramus** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 2:24 am

Updated. Geez, my nuts hurt

.

Post by **Icarus** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 2:32 am

I think rank is determined by survival time and weapon status - how powered up you are. As in most Gradii, activating Missiles, all four Options and/or Shield will beef up the difficulty by quite a bit.

But not as much as lifing the game ^_-

In any rate, good luck with the smeet, everyone. I'm interested in seeing who gets the top spot for this one. ^_-

Post by **Shatterhand** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 2:44 am

Oh, aren't you going to play this time? You don't want to hang with your low-skillz friends anymore?

When I saw you had posted in this thread , I was expecting to see a 1 million score or something

I am amazed someone can 1 life this game, even if I get just an option and laser, the rank goes so crazy in 1-4.. I can't even think how hard it may get when you reach 1-7 in one life...

Oh, and I didn't mention, but I managed to kill the miniboss of 1-4 without using double (But I had missile).

Post by **Icarus** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 3:10 am

Shatterhand wrote:Oh, aren't you going to play this time? You don't want to hang with your low-skillz friends anymore?

Not that. Cyvern irritated the hell out of me, so I'm taking a rest from competitive shmupping (and thankfully it's Christmas break from university, so I have no coursework either). I'm playing Gradius, but I may not be posting a score, so that other players can compete for the top spots. If there is a chance to go for top spots, then maybe it'll encourage more people to join in.

Besides, I suck at Gradius ^_-
(I'm better at, and prefer, R-Type.)

Good luck ^_-

EDIT: Speaking of lifing the game, Ben.Shinobi has, I've seen the replay.

landshark · Post by **landshark** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 3:19 am

1lc is doable. I've done it a few times. This was my first arcade 1cc as well.

crithit - thanks for the video. That technique usually results in me taking a rock to the bottom of the ship.

neorichieb1971 · Post by **neorichieb1971** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 3:21 am

I've done the first loop of this game on one life on the Saturn iteration.

Was about 3 years ago have no idea of score, when it started again I just switched it off.

I was fully powered up all the way since level 1 I think.

MSZ · Post by **MSZ** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 3:54 am

This is the easiest Gradius to do the 1LC. I have done that countless of times.

Can't say the same about loop 2 though.

ArrogantBastard · Post by **ArrogantBastard** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 4:01 am

How do I know what stage I'm on? I don't even have the slightest clue how far I'm along in this game. I defeated the thing with brains, if that's any indication on how far I'm into it.

ArrogantBastard - 327,600 - ?-? - MAME

landshark · Post by **landshark** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 4:12 am

Landshark - 462,500 - 2-2

Speaking of 1LC ... almost did it. Died to a lonesome bullet in 1-7, but recovered with no options and finished it with no options

Loop 2 is pure evil. Lost most of my lives to 2-1 where I didn't get to milk the volcanos at all. Instead I cowered and waited for it to end. The rest I lost to the popcorn enemy beginning of 2-2 before making it slightly into the level with no weapons or options or speed and died.

I 1LC'd Gradius 2 before I 1LC'd Gradius 1. Gradius 1 has a bit more bullet spam than part 2. But part 2 is longer and requires a bit more memorization.

ArrogantBastard · Post by **ArrogantBastard** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 5:21 am

landshark wrote:

Speaking of brain thingy, this is the one I defeated. Is that the final boss?

MSZ · Post by **MSZ** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 11:27 am

ArrogantBastard wrote:Is that the final boss?

It is.

Post by **Shatterhand** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 1:33 pm

So it has only 7 stages? And I always thought it had 8

ArrogantBastard · Post by **ArrogantBastard** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 1:56 pm

MSZ wrote:
ArrogantBastard wrote:Is that the final boss?
It is.

Ah, thanks.

I couldn't tell because it had no stage notification to denote what stage you're on.

I guess I made it to 2nd loop, 1st stage then, because I remember the enemies shooting back after being destroyed and killing me easily than before.

Skyline · Post by **Skyline** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 2:03 pm

Skyline - 219,400 - 1-4 - MAME

God I suck so much.. XD

Post by **Shatterhand** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 6:12 pm

a little tip for 1-4 volcano, is someone still havent noticed.

The rocks in the volcano apeear at a vic-viper distance from the actual volcano. The best way to past the volcano is just pass through it flying as close as possible to the volcano. None of the rocks will hit you (Just pay attention as when they go back UP they may hit you).

It took me at least 3 credits to notice that. If what I said is not clear, I'll post a screenshot later

Post by **Icarus** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 2:31 am

Do you know what the worst possible way to die in the second loop is?
It's not being trapped by a raspberry with arms.
It's not being smashed into from behind by a ducker.
It's not being hit by a volcanic rock when you think you're safe.
It is this. (DIVX - 1.8MB)

>_<#

Ramus · Post by **Ramus** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 2:41 am

Wow! That really sucks.

crithit5000 · Post by **crithit5000** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 3:13 am

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, that's hilarious. I learned a long time ago to let the backgrounds fade away completely in any of the older Gradius games...

Post by **Icarus** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 3:25 am

Yeah. I forgot. -_-;;
And to think I could have come close to a 2-ALL as well -_-;;

landshark · Post by **landshark** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 4:21 am

Icarus wrote:Do you know what the worst possible way to die in the second loop is?
It's not being trapped by a raspberry with arms.
It's not being smashed into from behind by a ducker.
It's not being hit by a volcanic rock when you think you're safe.
It is this. (DIVX - 1.8MB)

>_<#

I'm frustrated because 95% of my games I don't get past level 1 because I keep trying to milk the volcanos and I die when a fucking rock gets crammed up my exhaust. I'm still yet to find a consistent way to beat that bastard and milk it at the same time.

I've died exactly how you did. I've also died completely out of the blue a few times. I just explode on the left side of the screen (happens in loop 2). Can the enemies shoot from offscreen once they are behind you?

Post by **Icarus** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 4:34 am

landshark wrote:I'm frustrated because 95% of my games I don't get past level 1 because I keep trying to milk the volcanos and I die when a fucking rock gets crammed up my exhaust. I'm still yet to find a consistent way to beat that bastard and milk it at the same time.

Try this. Three Options, Laser, Missile. 99% Milking Technique. (DIVX - 3.6MB)

I say 99% because occasionally, even with this technique, a stray rock flies up your ass. ^_-

There is a safespot in the top-left corner. Trail your Options so they spread the screen, and they should take out anything stray that comes your way. Lower scoring, but safer.

EDIT: There's a similar milking technique against the stage7 boss. I'm still looking into it, but I think about 500k+ at the end of the first loop is a good target.

landshark wrote:I've died exactly how you did. I've also died completely out of the blue a few times. I just explode on the left side of the screen (happens in loop 2). Can the enemies shoot from offscreen once they are behind you?

I'm not sure how far offscreen the enemies can be, but yes, occasionally you get an enemy firing a bullet up your exhaust when it's off the left side of the screen. Which is why it's doubly important to destroy all the enemies that head from right-to-left before they get a chance to pass you, as they usually fire when they pass you.

Post by **Shatterhand** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 5:18 am

LOL

<stupid post mode off>

landshark · Post by **landshark** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 5:04 pm

Icarus wrote: Try this. Three Options, Laser, Missile. 99% Milking Technique. (DIVX - 3.6MB)

I say 99% because occasionally, even with this technique, a stray rock flies up your ass. ^_-

Yeah, I've tried that and the stray rock is usually a consistent rock

I found another similar way to do it yesterday by watching a Gradius replay to 4 million points (at which point I shut it off). You need to have 3 speedups by the time you get to the boss so you can stretch your options further across the screen to achieve a perfect beam. The ship is also slightly lower than where you had yours positioned.

There is a safespot in the top-left corner. Trail your Options so they spread the screen, and they should take out anything stray that comes your way. Lower scoring, but safer.

It's not safe. You can die up there (I have). The safest place to "just get past it" seems to be the upper right corner for me.

EDIT: There's a similar milking technique against the stage7 boss. I'm still looking into it, but I think about 500k+ at the end of the first loop is a good target.

Do you mean the boss you died on in that video? There are 2 ways. One is to drag your options into the field and then move your ship to the bottom left of the screen slightly under the blue bar and keep shooting.

A better way is to position yourself slightly below the boss so if you shoot you do not hit him. Go all the way to the right, then all the way to the left to spread your options across the screen. Then start shooting. You should not be able to hit the boss, but you will wipe out every little ball that flies out.