Shmup Related Questions That Don't Deserve a Thread

[mastermx]

I've never encountered a game that does that. (or perhaps I didn't pay attention lol)

I know the ones I mentioned certainly don't.

[trap15]

Metal Slug does though. Pay more attention.

[piginapoke]

I used to work on the UK commodore 64 games magazine Zzap! 64 and recently came across an article stating that the word shmup was created by Chris Anderson, editor of Zzap! 64 circa 1985 (I was there from 1987-1991). This was a shock to me when I read it. I hope it is true.

Can anyone confirm or deny that shmup came from Zzap! 64?

[mastermx]

Metal Slug does though. Pay more attention.

Yep just noticed it.

It looks like it's part of the score... Does this nullify a score though. Hmm. I guess they at least make a distinction. I wonder if there's a cap to it. If after 99 credits you won't be able to tell there was any credit feeding.

EDIT: just checked it. Capped at 9.

[BulletMagnet]

Can anyone confirm or deny that shmup came from Zzap! 64?

That's the generally-accepted "origin story" for the "shmup" abbreviation as far as I know. Some time ago someone here was selling the Zzap issue where it supposedly first appeared, I forget offhand which one it was though.

[LordHypnos]

The first four (random) levels are USA, Italy, Japan and England. The others were called like this in old japanese fansites:

- 空面 = Sky stage
- 北極面 = North pole stage
- 地底面/遺跡面 = Underground stage / Ruins stage
- 神殿面 = Temple Stage

Thanks

[BIL]

I just tested metal Slug 3. It does, continuing doesn't clear your score. You can effectively rack up a decent score even if you credit feed.

Besides the classic telltale "9" in the ones column, MS1-4 also pwnz teh scrubz with a credit tally at the game's end.

[mastermx]

So continuing increases your score? That doesn't nullify it though. In an ideal competitive arcade game, continuing should reset the score back to 0. Allowing the player to keep the score after continuing is a nod to the Casuals.

[ptoing]

Imo any score that is not gathered starting from the first level should not make it into the highscore list anyway, because that is pretty pointless as far as comparison goes.

[BIL]

So continuing increases your score? That doesn't nullify it though.

It will to those who matter. ^_~

[mastermx]

Lol that is true.

[emphatic]

So continuing increases your score? That doesn't nullify it though. In an ideal competitive arcade game, continuing should reset the score back to 0. Allowing the player to keep the score after continuing is a nod to the Casuals.

Stop being silly.

Also:

Metal Slug does though. Pay more attention.

[mastermx]

Thank you for quoting a message that I'd already replied to.

I expected metal Slug to note continues outside of score. Though I've been playing it for a very long time I'd never noticed the continues. I've never played it for score. Only the 1cc. So that would explain why I'd never encountered that little incrementation.

Please explain how I am being silly. Reseting score on continues is a standard in arcade games. They were built for the 1 credit clear. I don't understand the logic of letting you keep your score, and continuing.

What shmups do this? I've only ever encountered this in darius burst.

[ptoing]

Beestorm does it as well.

[mastermx]

Didn't know that about beestorm. IGS developed that game iirc. I've never seen cave do something like that, well not in the ones I play anyway.

[ptoing]

Yeah, no Cave shmup keeps the score over continues.

[amdiggywhut]

Hopefully a quick Garegga question: how much does getting the stage 3 1up increase rank?

[trap15]

Pretty sure none. Score extends don't increase rank, so I'd be surprised if the item does.

[cave hermit]

Is there any way to turn off auto bomb in Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu (1.5)?

[nasty_wolverine]

Is there any way to turn off auto bomb in Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu (1.5)?

just dont get hit...

[emphatic]

Reseting score on continues is a standard in arcade games. They were built for the 1 credit clear. I don't understand the logic of letting you keep your score, and continuing.

Arcade games are made to earn money for the operator. Metal Slug is awesome for shaming the credit feeder after he's finished though while sneaking in that continue counter into the score so that people who actually play for score/1CC will disregard their "efforts".

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Anyone got rips of the in-between stage art in Mushi and Futari? I remember at one point someone cleverly was able to rip the wallpaper artwork, was wondering if the stage transition artwork ever got ripped too.

[Ed Oscuro]

Metal Slug's design is awesome because it lets you compare your credit feed / serious attempts, and allows the player to directly "continue on" to being a hardcore player there.

The only downside is that a continue-laden clear might bump a game without continues out of the list, maybe...or does it not?

[trap15]

It does So you can credit-feed to #1 sadly...

[Squire Grooktook]

The guy who no misses all the stages with POW's will always be on top though methinks.

[LordHypnos]

Does anyone else feel like Giga Wang has some somewhat cheap deaths in it? It might just be the tiny ass bullets, and divebombing enemies that are getting to me, but I have had a lot of instances where I don't know what killed me playing GW, so far.

[ACSeraph]

Does anyone else feel like Giga Wang has some somewhat cheap deaths in it? It might just be the tiny ass bullets, and divebombing enemies that are getting to me, but I have had a lot of instances where I don't know what killed me playing GW, so far.

Go play Darius II and then nothing else will ever feel cheap again ever.

[LordHypnos]

Does anyone else feel like Giga Wang has some somewhat cheap deaths in it? It might just be the tiny ass bullets, and divebombing enemies that are getting to me, but I have had a lot of instances where I don't know what killed me playing GW, so far.

Go play Darius II and then nothing else will ever feel cheap again ever.

This might actually be a good idea. I sometimes find myself feeling that fairly popular, mainstream games have cheap deaths. Like 2hu. I think it's mostly being too close to the sides of the screen in that case, though, and is fairly uncommon.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Does anyone else feel like Giga Wang has some somewhat cheap deaths in it? It might just be the tiny ass bullets, and divebombing enemies that are getting to me, but I have had a lot of instances where I don't know what killed me playing GW, so far.

What exactly is getting you killed? Which stage are you talking about? The only way Giga Wing is legitimately unforgiving is that you can't really get any extra lives (there's one, but you shouldn't even see it unless you are sucking) so it's extremely tight on resources, but otherwise it's really not that bad. There's some fast attacks to get used to dodging and reflecting, but you can reflect -> bomb -> reflect again at dangerous parts (bombing immediately maxes your reflect meter when the bomb ends no matter how empty the gauge is). Stage 5 is noteworthy for having tanks and turrets that fire some very fast aimed shots, but it's nothing that can't be handled. The hitbox is so small that I'm sure it's possible to beat the game without ever using reflect (albeit extremely difficult).

If you're new to the game, it's strongly recommended you use Stuck/Widerstand. Extremely powerful spreadshot, second highest move speed, strongest attack in the game when you're at pointblank and attacking during reflects (or just pounding a large target with both cannonballs). Ruby is very strong too, but her super fast move speed and pure straight shot makes her tricky to learn with and more suited for experts, Isha is okay but her homing missiles are on the slow side and don't have too much oomph, and Sinnosuke is arguably the worst in the game. His spreadshot is super weak and means he's also lacking in frontal damage.

I sometimes find myself feeling that fairly popular, mainstream games have cheap deaths. Like 2hu.

In games with very small hitboxes for players and bullets, there is very rarely anything undodgeable. Difficult, maybe, but if you want to be taken seriously you should post very specific examples of attacks you think are cheap. Remember that many attacks that look difficult may just be a matter of practice or reflexes, or there may be a trick you just haven't learned yet.

Case in point: a lot of people seem to think Mushi Futari Stage 3's latter half is very hard because of the woodlice, but it's much easier when you aggressive move across the screen to actively misdirect the shots. A lot of people seem to try and tapdodge through the spreadshots which makes things unnecessarily tough.

[ACSeraph]

^Yep, difficult is different from cheap

Cheap is more like, when there is really no way you can survive something without knowing it's there ahead of time, like the dead end paths in Gradius Galaxies. Or in the case of Darius II it's cheap because if you die the game comes over with a billy club and breaks your kneecaps, and then gleefully watches your remaining 5-6 lives brutally beaten out of your crippled ship through the remainder of the now totally impossible stage. Actually it's almost more sadistic than cheap.

Gigawing and 2hu feel pretty even handed to me, though obviously they have their difficult points that require planning. As for getting sniped in the ass occasionally by something you didn't see well, that's every shmup really. You just gotta learn to see.