The BIG thread of Shmup grievances.

[Pretas]

I can never get into shmups with auto bomb. They make me feel like I'm credit feeding through the game. If I get hit by a bullet I should take responsibility for it, instead of just losing some bomb stock.

DDP SOJ balances it pretty well. You can choose to have one autobomb, or have a higher bomb stock. with autobomb, you have 3 bombs, but lose all of them if you get hit once. It's a pretty good risk reward balance.

Akai Katana has forced autobombing like DFK, but only on your last life, and it also eats through your entire stock. I actually prefer this system.

[LordHypnos]

Fucking ring powerups in Cho Ren Sha 68k. I probably just need to practice more, but it's like impossible to actually get in the middle and stay there

The strat I usually use is once your inside > slight tap downward > wait a few milliseconds > slight tap downward > wait a few milliseconds > repeat until you get it.

I'm sure this will be helpful, but even just getting inside is giving me hell @_@ I did it like twice successfully last run, but only made it to stage 3. Also there was a time when I should have used the "bombing while collecting" technique, but I couldn't quite think fast enough to.
Probably doesn't help that I'm actively playing a few more games to a greater extent than CRS.

[mastermx]

That voice when you game over on salamander 2 "you can't beat me, never!"

[BIL]

Speaking of trash-talking Konami bosses, Salamander 2's would be delighted to know that the first time I heard Gradius II's equivalent (Gofer's fiendish "GEHHH HEH HEH HEH HEHHH"), I was wearing headphones and it scared me like I'd never been scared before. Or at least startled me like I've rarely been startled before.

[PAPER/ARTILLERY]

Curved bullet trajectories. Especially when coupled with straight or a aimed shots. My brain cannot handle that shit at all.

[LordHypnos]

Curved bullet trajectories. Especially when coupled with straight or a aimed shots. My brain cannot handle that shit at all.

Ha, I know what you mean. Also bullets coming out of bullets is real freakin' difficult for me.

[mastermx]

@bil
that would have made me jump too if I wasn't expecting it lol

Here's another shmup grievance tied to salamander 2, when you accidentally run into speed ups. Sometimes power ups can actually mess your run up very badly.

[LordHypnos]

@bil
that would have made me jump too if I wasn't expecting it lol

Here's another shmup grievance tied to salamander 2, when you accidentally run into speed ups. Sometimes power ups can actually mess your run up very badly.

Oh God! The green power ups in Fire Shark! don't remind me

[mastermx]

God! The green power ups in Fire Shark! don't remind me

It's funny how we can dodge a barrage of bullets. But a floating power up? It's like a homing missile!

[LordHypnos]

God! The green power ups in Fire Shark! don't remind me

It's funny how we can dodge a barrage of bullets. But a floating power up? It's like a homing missile!

Seriously! It doesn't help that they stay on the screen bouncing around for like 10 minutes >_<

[LordHypnos]

OMG! I know I'm good enough to clear stage 6A of rRootage now, I just need to stop playing so much like shit!

[mastermx]

Here's another grievance, but this is one I deserve: trying to play sine mora seriously.

I deserve this because though I read all the anger in the sine mora thread, I thought it might still have hope. As a casual game, it's not bad, but it's not something I can really sink hours into. There's just so much wrong with that game when compared with the quality we are accustomed to here.

[LordHypnos]

Started sucking at Mars Matrix again -_-;
WHY!?
EDIT: nvm. Got to stage 4 boss again, no missed 1-3, and broke 120B again I guess I'm back to where I was. How the fuck does one not die at the end of stage 4 though? Still pretty mysterious. Probably by not sucking at shmups.

[DanMagoo]

iOS versions of the Cave games MHS and Futari have no local or online score resets. If you play through by credit feeding (which is necessary to unlock stuff) your high score ends up being 30-something million if you beat the LB with 3 lives ie you die just before the end and continue. This score goes onto the Game Center and you can't take it down, so you get stuck with a score that you can't incrementally improve.

I know these apps are not for serious play, but still would be nice to play for score properly within them.

[aoiddr]

The cake stage in Gokujou Parodius is infuriating for me to get through without dying. Just trying to avoid all the crap being thrown at you from every direction in such a small space...

The dancer is always a pain in the butt as well, but at least she's only one small part of a stage.

[Eaglet]

Another run botched at BH mk.2.
Had C,9 so it would have easily been over D,6 if i'd gotten through it...

[LordHypnos]

The worst thing ever: When you keep on making stupid mistakes and squandering resources and it feels like that's the only thing holding you back from the clear

[Krooze L-Roy]

This one is ultra trivial: one-dimensional initial input for high scores. Like, what is this? Pinball?

[LordHypnos]

When, after playing a game for the first time in a while, you notice a few areas where you're making mistakes that could be easily fixed, and then you make exactly the same mistakes the second time, in spite of specifically trying to target those mistakes, and do worse over all to top it off. Not to mention that I restarted like six times after making the same mistake in the same spot.

Dying right after picking up that extend that you were so happy to see

Just barely overshooting into a bullet when trying to tap dodge

Not being able to play as well as you were a week ago, even though you keep practicing

FML

[mastermx]

When, after playing a game for the first time in a while, you notice a few areas where you're making mistakes that could be easily fixed, and then you make exactly the same mistakes the second time, in spite of specifically trying to target those mistakes, and do worse over all to top it off. Not to mention that I restarted like six times after making the same mistake in the same spot.

Amen to that. Some mistakes/habits are tough to break. I'm actually quite blessed to be living in this era of shmups. To think each one of my mistakes would cost me a credit(monies). I would be penniless.

[LordHypnos]

When, after playing a game for the first time in a while, you notice a few areas where you're making mistakes that could be easily fixed, and then you make exactly the same mistakes the second time, in spite of specifically trying to target those mistakes, and do worse over all to top it off. Not to mention that I restarted like six times after making the same mistake in the same spot.

Amen to that. Some mistakes/habits are tough to break. I'm actually quite blessed to be living in this era of shmups. To think each one of my mistakes would cost me a credit(monies). I would be penniless.

Oh god, no kidding! Makes it all the more impressive that there used to be people who could 1cc games back in the 1980s and early 1990s with no arcade-perfect ports (of current games), no stage select, no savestates, no MAME. Just by going to the arcade every day and putting in a credit, then letting the counter go down and putting in another.

[ACSeraph]

Not being able to play as well as you were a week ago, even though you keep practicing

Some times it's better to take a week or two off when this starts happening to give your brain time to digest the failures and new strategies. All of that frustration and stress builds up and it leads to shittier play if you don't give your mind time to rest. I often do this when I start a big streak of failures in both fighting games and shmups, and usually when I'm ready to come back my play is stronger than ever.

[LordHypnos]

Not being able to play as well as you were a week ago, even though you keep practicing

Some times it's better to take a week or two off when this starts happening to give your brain time to digest the failures and new strategies. All of that frustration and stress builds up and it leads to shittier play if you don't give your mind time to rest. I often do this when I start a big streak of failures in both fighting games and shmups, and usually when I'm ready to come back my play is stronger than ever.

Thanks for the advice. I might just do that

[CloudyMusic]

Having the makings of a great run going, then quickly losing all of your lives to really stupid things. I'm getting really good at that.

[mastermx]

When, after playing a game for the first time in a while, you notice a few areas where you're making mistakes that could be easily fixed, and then you make exactly the same mistakes the second time, in spite of specifically trying to target those mistakes, and do worse over all to top it off. Not to mention that I restarted like six times after making the same mistake in the same spot.

Amen to that. Some mistakes/habits are tough to break. I'm actually quite blessed to be living in this era of shmups. To think each one of my mistakes would cost me a credit(monies). I would be penniless.

Oh god, no kidding! Makes it all the more impressive that there used to be people who could 1cc games back in the 1980s and early 1990s with no arcade-perfect ports (of current games), no stage select, no savestates, no MAME. Just by going to the arcade every day and putting in a credit, then letting the counter go down and putting in another.

Just imagining that they didn't have replays, nor forum strategies is insane. I can't imagine trying to master a shmup without stage select, it would take thousands of hours. They must have spent a lot of cash to master a game. They might as well have just brought the pcb lol.

[LordHypnos]

Just imagining that they didn't have replays, nor forum strategies is insane. I can't imagine trying to master a shmup without stage select, it would take thousands of hours. They must have spent a lot of cash to master a game. They might as well have just brought the pcb lol.

Yeah. I mean, on the other hand, there were other experienced players at arcades to share strategies with you and watch, but I don't know that it would be enough really. You'd have to be pretty determined.

[trap15]

People hating on RF series music. That is my grievance.

[mastermx]

I don't understand the logic of shmups that unlock stage select for you only after you've beaten them.

[LordHypnos]

I don't understand the logic of shmups that unlock stage select for you only after you've beaten them.

That doesn't really make sense, does it weird
I guess you could conceivably clear it using up all your lives, then work to try to be able to clear it with no deaths using the stage select. Also, you might be able to unlock it by continuing.

[slk486]

I don't understand the logic of shmups that unlock stage select for you only after you've beaten them.

How would you know where to find the later stages, unless you've been led there by the previous stage? Duh :p