Deathsmiles starting with 5 life bars

[Synnae]

I uploaded a 1cc of Deathsmiles to youtube almost 1 year ago and now some people are complaining because I started the game with 5 life bars. Thing is, I don't even know why I started with more than the usual as I didn't change anything in the game. It simply gave me 5 instead of the default 3.

Here's the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5m8au8TG4s

How can I start it with 3 life bars? No matter what I do, I always start with 5. I want to know so I can upload another 1cc of it with the correct number. (I used MAME to record, btw)

[BareKnuckleRoo]

You (or someone else if it is a PCB) changed it from the default settings, so you need to go into the test menu (tap and hold F2 in MAME) to reset the default difficulty settings. The game has options to make it MUCH easier than intended, including making bullets do only fractional damage.

Since it's MAME, it's possible you downloaded and used an NVRAM for the game that had its settings modified, or you messed with the settings. It's not considered a 1cc for the purposes of scoreboards because it's clearly not set to defaults.

[Synnae]

I'm pressing and holding F2 constantly but it does nothing in the game. It works for other games in my MAME, though.

Is there not another way to restore default settings?

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Delete nvram files manually, try seeing if it's a dipswitch change by pressing tab, make sure you're not using a hacked version or something... Dunno? We had this issue at a local meet where someone got a Deathsmiles PCB set to super easy and didn't realize, I remember Deathsmiles having a test menu, but I have never played it in MAME. Make sure to hold F2 for at least 30 secs, some Cave games require it held longer to enter like DDP if I remember.

[Synnae]

There are two dipswitch things on the menu: "Service Mode" and "Unknown" and they were set to off.

I tried deleting the nvram files (eeprom and game), but nothing happened. :/

[KAI]

Hold 0 instead of F2.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

There are two dipswitch things on the menu: "Service Mode" and "Unknown" and they were set to off.

Setting Service Mode to on should be an easy way to force it into the menu (may need to hit F3 to reset).

[Synnae]

It's alright. Pressing and holding 0 actually worked... I managed to restore the default settings now.

I also deleted that video and will try to do an 1cc on default later. I noticed things got much harder... lol, and here I was so happy thinking I had a real 1cc on this game.

[shmuppyLove]

someone

Jonny5

[BareKnuckleRoo]

i was being nice and not naming names you jerk =p

[shmuppyLove]

It's alright, we all had a good laugh over it.

But anyway, like someone mentioned over in the DFK thread, (even at the default settings) Deathsmiles is a very easy 1CC. The real challenge is learning the right shot type, trying to optimize your route and when to cash in your counter (and using the recharge trick) for maximum score.

[tzakiel]

Lol might have been me. I wasn't complaining per se just pointing it out as I have made the same mistake.

[Synnae]

But anyway, like someone mentioned over in the DFK thread, (even at the default settings) Deathsmiles is a very easy 1CC. The real challenge is learning the right shot type, trying to optimize your route and when to cash in your counter (and using the recharge trick) for maximum score.

What's the easiest route to take? I know the game has food or something on some places that restore your health... so I'd like to take as much as I can.

and I don't know what this counter or recharge trick is about. Can you explain me?

[shmuppyLove]

The easiest route I used from this guide:

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?t=26063

There are 2 easily attainable score-based extends (20M and 45M) so you can get up to 5 life blocks. Then there are two life refills in the first 6 stages, and not bombing Jitterbug will give you a +2 life item.

I'm not the best person to describe the recharge trick, but I believe in a nutshell the trick is to finish power-up mode by bombing with as many enemies on the screen as possible. Because you're in power-up mode, all enemies killed produce large crowns. Bombing will rapidly deplete the counter, and once you're back in normal mode you collect all the large crowns which will recharge your counter back up to 1000 (hopefully). You can get extra bomb ("magic") items in a few places, plus when you lose 1 full bar you will get a 3 bomb refill, so all these bombs can be used to help with the recharge.

Assuming you can master this trick, the challenge then becomes optimizing your route and knowing when to trigger power-up mode. I think there's a guide somewhere with the best scoring route.

[Chaos Phoenixma]

There's also the challenge of going for a no miss no power up of the final stages if you have the suicide bullets and Extra stage since that's better than powering up in the final stages. But that's pretty hard.


It's not really the bomb that causes the gold crowns for the recharge. For the volcano recharge at least still need to be holding lock shot buttons for the first one since those enemies drop the best stuff with lock shot. You don't really need the bomb either in most cases, but it's easier to time some of them with it, but I was never any good with that using either method. what button you need to be holding for the bomb recharge is going to depend on the enemy type though. Basically, the recharge trick, at least with bombs, is that even though the bomb killed the enemies, the game thinks you killed it with whichever shot or laser you're using.

[endoKarb]

Recharging is simply timing your Power Up Mode activation so that you end up with a lot of gold crowns just as the Power Up Mode is ending. It can be done with or without bomb in various section.

It's not a special "trick" or some kind of bug, it's just clever usage of the game mechanics; I wouldn't worry about it too much at the moment.

Using the stage order shmuppyLove linked and picking Rosa you should have no problem. Just practice the Castle stage a bit, don't bomb Jitterbug and the clear will be yours in no time.