New issue of STG Gameside to feature shmups forum members!

[Illyrian]

Iconoclast has the same beard as me, only mine is bushier!

Awesome to see 3 forum goers in a magazine like this

[CloudyMusic]

Awesome! Congratulations on your much-deserved recognition, guys.

[Frenetic]

Hey ACSeraph,

I heard there was a small sentence on STGWeekly, could you or someone else take a pic of that?

Picked this up while I was in Tokyo, the R-Type feature is really cool

Dang this is SO cool!
F

[Plasmo]

Fantastic news! This is too awesome!

[chempop]

Hahaha nice! This is crazy, big congrats to you guys and thanks to those who made it happen.

[iconoclast]

Spoiler

my pic is so bad

Is that a third_strike shout out I see in abschussig's interview? Cool!

[chempop]

Iconoclast, where does it say you are from? If it's MA, that would be rad.
Also, if you're still in the state you should come to my next meet.

[emphatic]

Gus' picture is great. All those frames in the background, and it's a selfie.

[ACSeraph]

Hey ACSeraph,

I heard there was a small sentence on STGWeekly, could you or someone else take a pic of that?

You got it:

EDIT: REDACTED

[trap15]

Now someone translate it

[iconoclast]

Iconoclast, where does it say you are from? If it's MA, that would be rad.
Also, if you're still in the state you should come to my next meet.

Yeah, I'm still in MA. It would be hard for me to get out to Northampton, but I wouldn't rule it out. I'm sure it'd be a lot of fun.

[mastermx]

My Japanese is very rusty so there may be some errors. But this is what I gathered so far.

"Gus from America

Living in Johnson city from Tennessee, Gus was the first person outside of japan to be able to counter stop mushihimesama futari 1.5. This was achieved on the Xbox 360 version in June 2013."

Beneath it reads:
"World Ranker File #2

mushihimesama futari ver1.5 counterstopped the foreign edition"


"NHK Iconoclast from America

From north east america, living in Massachusetts. Iconoclast is the world's top player in mushihime sama arrange black label's God mode. He is the reigning number 1 player on the xbox leaderboards."

Beneath it reads:
"World Ranker File #3

1st on Mushihimesama futari black label xbox 360 leader boards"


"Shmups forum

A website for veteran shooters in the english speaking world.

The most popular forum for players in the English speaking world. Established in 1997 this is a site with history and where many veteran players gather. Shmups forum is a place where they share their high scores and their shooting game strategies. This is the metropolis of the shooting community."



This translation may be very off, my kanji recognition is really rusty, and I had a hard time reading some of them with the relatively small scan but here goes.

"abshussig from germany

abschussig is a player living in germany freyburg. According to the shmups forum he has a score of 2,616,555,000 in the playstation 2 version of Homura. This is the highest score for the game in the world. His first gaming experience was in the mid 80s, he is the number one scorer in Homura.

Beneath it Reads:
"world ranker file #1

The top foreign player of Homura"

[STG]

My Japanese is very rusty so there may be some errors. But this is what I gathered so far.

And thanks for the translations so far, very cool, hope to see the rest of the article translated!

Great job guys!

[NTSC-J]

STG Gameside said we could post the original English interviews here, so stay tuned.

It's probably best not to post scans of the Japanese one, but hopefully a few more members support the issue and pick up a copy.

[ACSeraph]

It's probably best not to post scans of the Japanese one

If the pics I posted need to come down just let me know.

[DJ Incompetent]

Very much amazing all around!

[Drake]

The STGWeekly paragraph:

"Weekly show capturing* selected games
They pick up a title every week. Top players are invited to demonstrate a playthrough* of the game and discuss it. In the latest episodes, Crimzon Clover and Akai Katana were showcased! It's said this show is well on its way to becoming a focal point of the english-speaking community."

*They use the term 攻略 here, which is a handy catch-all for walkthrough, how-to, strategy guide, tips and hints, etc.

[BubbaMc]

Very cool fellas!

[Aleksei]

Cool story bros.

[NTSC-J]

Sorry for the delay, but here it is. I've translated the Japanese text (kind of loosely, forgive me) but the interview text is all from the original players. Note that there are actually more questions here than what made the cut in the published article, so get bonus.

Also, ACSeraph and Fudoh, if you could please remove the scans you posted, it would be much appreciated.


Overseas STG Report

”High Scores”, a term once reserved for the STG scene in Japan, has gone international. Come meet the best players from around the globe!

If you read about STGs in the West, you’ll no doubt run into the word “shmup”, an abbreviation for “shoot-‘em-up” and the term Western players use when talking about shooting games. In the following interviews with some of the top foreign players, you’ll get a sneak-peak into the wide world of “shmups”.


Questions:
1. What got you into STGs?
2. What’s the game you've played the most and how much time have you spent on it?
3. Tell us a little about your home environment. First, where do you live?
4. What is your set-up at home? What sort of distractions do you have at home?
5. What score are you most proud of, and tell us the story about it.
6. How do you avoid burning out?
7. Why aren’t players in the West as successful with these games as those in Asia/Japan?
8. Getting such high scores of course takes tremendous skill, but also requires a lot of time that could be spent on other pursuits. Why is making that sacrifice important to you?
9. When you’re not playing STGs, what else are you doing for fun?
10. Which player do you admire most?
11. Are there any superplays by other players that particularly inspired you?
12. What is your motto?


abschüssig
Germany
World Ranker File #1
Top Western Player – Homura

From Freiburg, Southern Germany. Achieved a new world record (source: shmups forum) for Homura (PS2). Started playing games in the early 80s, but didn’t start playing for score until Homura.

1. I started playing videogames (and STGs) in the early 1980s. I was born in 1975, so I was a little kid back then. I spent most of my holidays in France, and they had really great arcades. At home, I had an Atari 2600. I don't remember what the very first STG was that I played. But Homura on the PS2 is the very first STG I ever played for score. This was in 2010.

2. Homura. I don't know how much time I spent with it, because I never had any strict playing routines. Usually, I played a few hours per day and a few days per week. Homura does not have a practice mode, so I always had to play full runs. After I got my first world record, I quit playing Homura almost completely for one and a half years, because I didn't see a way to improve it any further during this time.

3. I live in southern Germany, in a very nice town named Freiburg.

4. I owned many consoles since the 1980s, but I sold all of them except for the PS2 and the Xbox360. I prefer pads over sticks, and I only play with the Sega Saturn pad, which I use with lag-free converters from Keio and Etokki. My display is a tated Sony Trinitron 21 inch CRT. It's easy to arrange situations in which nothing disturbs me, because I never play very long sessions.

5. There are actually two:
The first one (from March 2011) is 431 millions in ESPGaluda Arrange. That's the western record, but there is still a lot that can be improved. I consider this game to be among CAVE's very best by the way. It has one of the most fun scoring systems ever.
The story behind the other score began in 2010, when I started playing Homura. As I already said, I never played an STG for score before Homura. In April 2011, I beat the Japanese world record for the first time. I never set out to do this, and for a long time, I didn't even believe I could do it, but improving my score was so much fun that I just couldn't stop. In December 2012, shortly after another Japanese player had beaten my score, I set several new Homura world records. My last one was 2.616 billions. In the last and most intense weeks of playing I had more fun with Homura than ever before. I also played with a much more relaxed attitude than at the beginning, when I sometimes got extremely frustrated.
The current world record is unbeatable with my strategies though. I'd love to see a replay of it. Are you reading this, YOH?

6. I stop playing when it's no fun any more.

7. We usually don't try as hard and don't invest the time necessary to get scores like the Japanese. It's just a matter of dedication. Sometimes we don't want to admit that and blame our lack of dedication on a lack of “talent“.

8. I only play STGs because they are great fun. And the way to get by far the most fun out of them is by playing them for high scores.

9. Skateboarding, to name just one among many other things.

10. Too many to mention only one.

11. When I started playing Homura, no superplays of the game existed. But a Brazilian shmups.com forum member named third_strike had by far the best score in the west, so I asked him to record a replay. Without some of the strategies from his video, my world records would not have been possible. Thank you again, third_strike!
The most amazing STG runs I've ever seen are probably Gunbird 2 by GODHAND and Dragon Blaze by SYO.

12. Enjoy!



Gus
United States
World Ranker File #2
Western counter-stop – Mushihimesama Futari 1.5 Ultra

From Johnson City, Tennessee, in the Southern United States. In June, 2013, became the first Western player to reach the counter-stop (3,999,999,999) in Mushi Futari 1.5 Ultra.

1. A few years ago I decided I hated the direction mainstream gaming was going so I tried some older shooters like Gradius, and though I wasn't a fan, the potential I saw in the genre made me try out some danmaku, specifically Dodonpachi. Right from my first credit, I was blown away and immediately regarded it as the pinnacle of the entire entertainment industry. After a few months of playing it, I lost any interest in other genres and bought a 360 to try out some of Cave's newer and flashier games. I then read Prom's guide and realized the merits of playing for score.

2. Futari 1.5 Ultra. I don't know how much time I've invested but I'd guess it's well over 1000 hours by now.

3. Johnson City, TN. Aside from college, I'm not really interested in anything the city has to offer, which makes it perfect for focusing on shmups.

4. A big, comfy chair and a small, untated, flatscreen CRT are all I need. Recently I've gotten a memory foam pillow for stress relief. Distractions are family deciding to yell at me whenever they feel like it.

5. I got the 360 Futari port in March 2011. After a few months of playing it, I felt I was good enough to try Ultra and worked on it off and on for about 4 months until I got 3 billion. I then played Espgaluda 2 for a few months and got 800m. At that point, June 2012, I was at a crossroads. I could keep switching games and getting passable scores or I could return to the game I had most experience, Ultra, and go for something good. After being inspired by some Ultra superplay videos, I firmly chose the latter. My plan was to first get low-scoring clear, then a counterstop, then a counterstop with a clear. I got the clear in August but college slowed down my progress and I didn't get the counterstop until January 2013. I died twice in stage 4 on that run so I didn't have enough lives to beat Larsa. I started work on the counterstop clear immediately thereafter and got it in June 2013 after about 200 hours worth of attempts. I had a very hard time controlling my nerves and at one point had botched stage 5 30 times without reaching Larsa once, but after my first time getting to her, the clear came relatively quickly. It was a somewhat lucky run but I'm still glad to have done it and hope to further refine my scoring in the game.

6. I've always just read hentai manga or watched an anime episode when I felt burnt out but, recently, I've also started listening to jazz music. After going to a few live performances I've come to understand why people compare playng shmups to playing an instrument and now get similar inspiration from great jazz as when watching a shmup superplay.

7. In Japan the games are able to reach a wide audience, including that extreme minority with the skill and determination to set a world record. Though there's some great players outside Japan, the vast majority are just collectors or people who just play so they can feel cool, but aren't interested in getting good. I don't think it's anything deeper than that.

8. I like the idea that man's only duty is to love. I think that to reach his full potential, man must reject what society deems "good" or "bad" and strike out his own path towards what he loves. By that token, the otaku who feels guilty for doing what he loves rather than sheepishly following pressure to get a social life is just as dumb as the people who use "virgin" as an insult. I admit there are things that give me more immediate enjoyment, but I've come to realize that shmups are the only things I truly love, so I don't see myself as actually sacrificing anything. They do cause a great deal more grief for me than enjoyment but to run from that which I love and surrender myself to animalistic hedonism would be an infinitely more miserable existence.

9. I love watching Japanese pro wrestling, especially 1990's AJPW. Kenta Kobashi is my idol and his matches have had a huge influence on my views on life. After watching him wrestle Mitsuharu Misawa and take enough punishment to kill a normal man yet still keep fighting, even thinking about giving up makes me feel like shit. I also casually follow boxing, where it's commmon for fans to disown a fighter for quitting any time before they are getting absolutely brutalized and have no hope of winning. When I watch guys risk permanent brain damage to maintain their pride on a regular basis, I have a hard time viewing someone who gives up in a video game as anything but a huge pussy.

10. CHUBOW. Aside from being a great source of inspiration, I have learned pretty much everything I know about Ultra from watching his videos. Though most quit playng Futari Ultra at the counterstop, CHUBOW has been going for years since getting his first counterstop clear and has basically wrote the book on high level scoring in the mode since Dame KK stopped. He definitely deserves to be seen on at least the same level as any of the Arcadia record holders.

11. I said Prom's guide was what made me showed me the merits of playing for score but watching NAK's 5.6 billion God mode on the 360 port was what really opened my eyes on how these games are to be played and it also made realize playing shmups is an artform in itself. I've seen too many amazing runs since then to list, including a much better run from NAK at Wasshoi Europe, but the first time only happens once.

12. "Only great pain is the ultimate liberator of the spirit" -Friedrich Nietzsche



Iconoclast
United States
World Ranker File #3
Xbox LIVE #1 ranking – Mushihimesama Futari Black Label

From the suburbs of Massachusettes, in the Northeastern United States. Top player on Mushi Futari Black Label God Mode. Currently #1 on the XBL leaderboards.

1. What got you into STGs?
Raiden Fighters Aces was just about to be released in North America. Some people were excited about it at a gaming forum that I visit, so I decided to pick it up and try it out for myself. I got hooked on Raiden Fighters Jet, and trying to unlock the Achievement for scoring 100,000,000 points made me realize how fun STGs can be.

2. What's the game you've played the most and how much time have you spent on it?
Mushihimesama Futari. I think I've spent around 600-650 hours on it, across all of the modes. Most of that time went into God Mode and 1.5 Maniac.

3. Tell us a little about your home environment. First, where do you live?
I live in the suburbs of Massachusetts. It's pretty dull around here, which probably explains why I spend a lot of time playing games.

4. What is your set-up at home? What sort of distractions do you have at home?
My consoles and my PC are hooked into an ASUS PA248Q monitor, and I have a Qanba Q4RAF arcade stick with a Seimitsu LS-58 joystick and a full set of Seimitsu buttons. As for distractions, I'm living with my mother and my sister, and I have three cats.

5. What score are you most proud of, and tell us the story about it.
5,646,696,715 in Mushihimesama Futari Black Label's God Mode. My original goal with the game was to only score around 4.5 billion points, but once I looked at the Xbox Live leaderboards, I noticed that all of the top scores were very close to one another. I watched everybody's replays very closely. I even made notes of how much people were scoring at certain points in each stage before heading into training mode and trying to figure out how I could improve. Eventually I'd start thinking that if I just practiced a little more, I'd be able to beat the guy who was right above me on the leaderboards. And once I beat him, I'd think that if I practiced a little more, I'd be able to beat the next guy, and so on. In short, everybody who contributed great scores to the leaderboards motivated me to keep playing.

6. How do you avoid burning out?
I like playing a variety of different games, so when I start getting tired of one, I'll stop concentrating on it and start playing something else. I think burn out only happens when you're forcing yourself to do something that you don't enjoy, so it's important to remember that games are supposed to be fun.

7. Why aren't players in the West as successful with these games as those in Asia/Japan?
I think it comes down to a variety of factors. In Japan, you can go to an arcade that has its own community of extremely dedicated players - people who are willing to sink hundreds, if not thousands of hours into a single game. These guys can watch each other play, learn from each other's mistakes, and collaborate to come up with new strategies. And of course when there are a lot of people competing to get the highest score in a game, it helps everyone improve their skills more rapidly. In America, arcades are practically non-existent, so the entire STG community exists in online forums. And within that community, there's a relatively small amount of people who are really striving to improve.
But at the end of the day, these are all excuses. The bottom line is that there are more players in Asia who are passionate enough about STGs to put in the time and effort required to excel. They're the best because they're the most dedicated.

8. Getting such high scores of course takes tremendous skill, but also requires a lot of time that could be spent on other pursuits. Why is making that sacrifice important to you?
I'm having fun whenever I play video games, so I don't consider it a sacrifice. I just think it's the most enjoyable way to spend my free time (which I might have a little too much of...)

9. When you're not playing STGs, what else are you doing for fun?
I like to watch movies, listen to music, watch other people play STGs on nicovideo/livetube, and play other types of games (action, fighting, rhythm, and League of Legends with my friends).

10. Which player do you admire most?
GFA2-ISO. He has a ton of incredible scores across so many different games. I hope that one day I'll be half as good as him.

11. Are there any superplays by other players that particularly inspired you?
ZAP's superplay of Futari God Mode, where he scores 7 billion points. The creative strategies, insane risk taking, and borderline flawless execution makes it one of the most incredible displays of skill that I've ever seen.

12. What is your motto?
I don't really have one. I just want to continue to improve.



Shmups Websites
A brief look at STG communities from around the world

The following websites are where you’ll find many of the best players outside of Japan. As mentioned in the previous interviews, the STG community in the West is mostly all online. However, one brief look and you’ll see that the players are just as passionate and dedicated as the ones here in Japan.


Shmups Forum
Long-time hangout for English-speaking players

The most popular message board for English-speaking STG players. Launched in 1997, this venerable website is frequented by many veteran players. The place to go to find the latest news and high scores.


STG Weekly
Weekly show featuring strategies for popular STGs

A new STG is showcased every week, with top players offering tips and strategies. Recent episodes include titles like Crimzon Clover and Akai Katana. STG Weekly is quickly becoming a fixture of the English-speaking STG community.


Shmup.com
French site on all-things shmup

Separate from the English-speaking shmups.com, this site is for French players discussing STGs. Covers everything from scores and news to selling games. Recently began featuring a new high score database.


TeamSuperPlay Live
Online superplay video collective

As seen in our last issue, this is a group of famous French players who call themselves “TeamSuperPlay” and feature videos on their YouTube channel. A variety of genres are on display, but their bread-and-butter is STGs. Also features videos from the annual “Stunfest” events.


Shmupemall.com
All the latest news on PC and console games

French site focusing on PC doujin and console games. You can find find all the latest news on the world of STGs. Many of the games are very niche, so you know these guys are big-time fans of the genre. Also features reviews.


Bullet Heaven HD
Covers retro to smartphone games

YouTube channel that focuses on (mostly Japanese) STGs, from past to present. 93 episodes as of Feb. 2014.


TRIGGERZONE
Welcome all German shmuppers!

Site for German-speaking STG players. As with many of the other sites, they feature the latest news and reviews, as well as high scores and a community forum where you can see player game collections and playing environments.


Jammaplay
Video collection of arcade titles

Site for uploading superplay videos of arcade games and console ports. You can find videos for a wide variety of games, but the focus is on STGs.


Scoring is universal

In Japan, shooting games have long been considered a niche genre. However, despite a relatively small number of players and communities, more and more shmuppers from all over the globe are starting to aim for new high scores, making the competition even tighter.

It's clear STGs still hold plenty of new possibilities, and with the internet, even more people have the opportunity to discover them and see how fun they really are. To all the Japanese fans, be sure to check out the exciting new developments in the international STG scene!

[ACSeraph]

Also, ACSeraph and Fudoh, if you could please remove the scans you posted, it would be much appreciated.

Done. Thanks for the awesome translation work!

[chempop]

Fantastic! Thanks for making this happen, and congrats to the 3 featured players.

[emphatic]

Awesome!

[Hydeux]

Shmupemall.com
All the latest news on PC and console games

French site focusing on PC doujin and console games. You can find find all the latest news on the world of STGs. Many of the games are very niche, so you know these guys are big-time fans of the genre. Also features reviews.

Thanx for talking about us !!!

[LordHypnos]

interesting read! thanks for posting!

[BulletMagnet]

Many thanks for the translation!

[KAI]

That Gus is hilarious. Thanks for translating NTSC-J.

[CStarFlare]

Great! Thanks for that, NTSC-J!

[mastermx]

Insightful interviews. Thanks for the translation ntsc

[Aleksei]

A very fun read.