Weekly Online Shmeet #3 (Gradius)

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Ramus
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Weekly Online Shmeet #3 (Gradius)

Post by Ramus »

We will be playing the arcade version.

Time Remaining: ? days

Rankings and Rules

Posting Format:

Your name - Score - Stage - System played on

Last Updated: Dec. 26, 2005 12:34PM PST

Code: Select all

Game: Gradius
Start: Dec. 19, 2005 12PM PST
End: Dec. 26, 2005 12PM PST

Tier I:

1. Icarus               - 739,900 - 2-7 - Saturn
2. Shatterhand          - 511,900 - 2-2 - MAME


Tier II:

1. Landshark            - 462,500 - 2-2 - MAME
2. punkfox              - 460,700 - 2-1 - MAME
3. Edge                 - 422,800 - 2-1 - MAME
4. ArrogantBastard      - 413,370 - 2-4 - MAME




Tier III:

1. crithit5000          - 377,400 - 1-7 - MAME
2. AWJ                  - 248,500 - 1-4 - MAME
3. Skyline              - 219,400 - 1-4 - MAME
4. benstylus            - 216,000 - 1-4 - Saturn
5. Tomtom               - 209,300 - 1-4 - MAME

*Tiers change based on number of people playing.
(more spots will be added if more people participate)
Last edited by Ramus on Fri Dec 23, 2005 5:47 am, edited 5 times in total.
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Ramus
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Post by Ramus »

I'm getting a vasectomy today, so don't sxpect an update for a while. :D
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landshark
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Post by landshark »

Ramus wrote:I'm getting a vasectomy today, so don't sxpect an update for a while. :D
oww oww oww oww oww

You could hang the results on the fridge like my friend did. :)
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Tomtom
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Post by Tomtom »

Good luck.

And if this contest is teaching me anything, it's that I really suck at shmups. This is the arcade rev, and this is the first time I've EVER beaten the second stage.

Tomtom - 115,800 - 1-4


EDIT: Alright, how in the HELL are you supposed to get through this?

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ave
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Post by ave »

Go at the bottom, absorb one of the bullets with your shield and try to kill them all FAST ^^
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ArrogantBastard
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Post by ArrogantBastard »

I was about to post my score, but I realized that I was playing the wrong version. (Gradius II, oops!)

Now I'm off to play on the correct version.
punkfox
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Post by punkfox »

Here's my first score, nothing too impressive. Got killed by a stray bullet in 1-3 and never recovered. :-p

Punkfox - 179,800 - 1-3 - MAME
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Post by Shatterhand »

Do Nemesis and Gradius have any difference? I am playing Gradius because it's what we are supposed to be playing.. I noticed Tomtom screenshot says "Multiple" while my version of the game says "Option"


How did you do 179800 at 1-3?

I bet this also has some obvious score techniques which I just don't know

Shatterhand - 120,100 - 1-4 - MAME

Arrgh, I hate level 4... I've always hated it, since I played this game on MSX. If I 1 life up to level 4 (Which I do with frequency), the starting of the level is just IMPOSSIBLE... I just wait 'til I lose 1 life, so I can go on with the lower rank.

Then of course, if I die in the middle of level 4 (Which I always do), I just spend the rest of level without killing any enemies, because EVERY GODDAMN ENEMY comes either in the roof or in the ground, and as I don't have either Double or Missile (And no power ups show up), all I can do is keep dodging the bullets.. up until I reach the miniboss, which just destroys me because I NEED THE GODDAMN DOUBLE AND MISSILE to beat it.

ARGH, I hate this game. But I love it too :)
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crithit5000
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Post by crithit5000 »

Tomtom wrote:EDIT: Alright, how in the HELL are you supposed to get through this?

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Usually by then I've already gotten my first extend from milking the volcanoes/wallcanoes in 1-1 (an optimal 1-1 run nets me around 54,000...I think...?) with three options and laser, so a loss of life there kills the rank a ton...Either way, unless your only using like one option and your pea-shooter, you're probably going to die on 1-2 or 1-3 due to power up hoarding...unless you're tviks or something.
How did you do 179800 at 1-3?
Milk the volcanoes, kill every possible enemy in 1-2 and 1-3, and shoot lots of fruit loops/rings in 1-3.
up until I reach the miniboss, which just destroys me because I NEED THE GODDAMN DOUBLE AND MISSILE to beat it.
I use laser and an option or two. I find double to be useless in Gradius I...
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Shatterhand
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Post by Shatterhand »

I only use one option and my pea-shooter... heh :)

And I NEVER get the shield. Everytime I get the shield, the amount of bullets gets insane.

But even that, in level 1-4 the rank skyrockets.
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Shatterhand
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Post by Shatterhand »

By the way, I made a poll for the next week game, if we should choose with a poll ..

http://forum.shmups.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6611
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MSZ
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Post by MSZ »

Shatterhand wrote:But even that, in level 1-4 the rank skyrockets.
Check out 1-7 in full rank, it will scare you to death.
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landshark
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Post by landshark »

Landshark - 279,000 - 1-7

terrible.
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Post by punkfox »

I can answer your question about Nemesis and Gradius, although I've only really noticed one difference.

If you die in Nemesis, the game will throw a lot of red-colored enemies at you, giving you a chance to recover your power if you mess up.

If you die in Gradius, you're pretty much given what the checkpoint offers, which usually isn't much. So Nemesis is the more generous and forgiving of the two (which I've 1CCed after a bit of practice. :))
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Shatterhand
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Post by Shatterhand »

So can we play Nemesis, or should we stick with Gradius ?
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punkfox
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Post by punkfox »

The scoring systems are the same, but Nemesis is easier to play than Gradius because of death recovery, so a Nemesis player would have an advantage over a Gradius player.

I'd say we stick with Gradius, unless everyone agrees that they want to play Nemesis instead.
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Ramus
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Post by Ramus »

Let's play Gradius since that is what people voted for.
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Post by punkfox »

That sounds fine with me. :) And while I'm at it:

Punkfox - 201,500 - 1-4 - MAME
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Post by Shatterhand »

Hey crithit5000

I find double very useful in 1-3 to kill the top Moai Heads, and in 1-4 I think it's an essential weapon.

But in basically every level, in the BEGINNING of level, it's either laser or nothing.

I think I'll try the strategy of getting all power ups I can in level 1-1, so I can milk the volcanoes, then just lose a life at 1-2.

If I have more than 2 options I can't manage to beat the miniboss of 1-2, I always die at that spot when I have more than 2 options...

What really annoys me is that I'll probably ending up losing a life at 1-4 too... :/
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Post by crithit5000 »

Hey crithit5000

I find double very useful in 1-3 to kill the top Moai Heads, and in 1-4 I think it's an essential weapon.
To each his own, I suppose. I usually end up shooting more fruit loops then Moai, though...

And I've been playing Nemesis for the past few months and not Gradius...tried it tonight and wow, it's way different. Although you can leave 1-1 with 55,000 in Nemesis, you can leave 1-1 with 80,000+ in Gradius. Plus the rank is handled much differently...hmmm...
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Post by AWJ »

AWJ - 208,600 - 1-4 - MAME

What dipswitch settings are we using? MAME defaults to Easy and 20000/70000 Extend, but I think the true "factory default" settings are Normal and 30000/80000 (judging by the console ports) I'm using the latter settings.
Usually by then I've already gotten my first extend from milking the volcanoes/wallcanoes in 1-1 (an optimal 1-1 run nets me around 54,000...I think...?)
You're doing it wrong :D Using three options and laser, I regularly have over 80,000 by the time the Big Core shows up. The trick is to get your options' lasers firing "out of phase" with your ship--this creates what is effectively a continuous laser all the way across the screen that destroys almost every rock.
Tomtom wrote:EDIT: Alright, how in the HELL are you supposed to get through this?

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You get through it by not cowering at the left edge of the screen like a chicken :D 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.
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Post by crithit5000 »

You're doing it wrong Using three options and laser, I regularly have over 80,000 by the time the Big Core shows up. The trick is to get your options' lasers firing "out of phase" with your ship--this creates what is effectively a continuous laser all the way across the screen that destroys almost every rock.
Read my post above...Nemesis cuts the time spent in the volcano section by a decent margin...
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Post by Shatterhand »

Uh Oh...

I've been playing in the default mame settings.... didn't even check the settings..


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.
That's why I feel I need double and missiles here... I can easily dodge all bullets even if I don't kill one single enemy from either the roof or the ground (Well, at least when I am so much underpowered), but when I reached the subboss, I was quickly destroyed.
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Post by captain ahar »

i used to be able to one life into stage 5, made into 6 once. but i haven't played it in at least 1.5 months.

i'll work on it a bit, maybe i can put something half way decent together this time around. 8)
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ArrogantBastard
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Post by ArrogantBastard »

I wouldn't be surprised if tviks posts his insane score for this game...
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Post by punkfox »

I found that milking the bullets on the 1-6 boss gives good results if you use double and avoid attacking the core directly. :)

Punkfox - 358,000 - 1-7 - MAME
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Post by sven666 »

if anyone is an original Gradius PCB short ive got one for sale 8)

ill check in with a score later, not really a gradius fan tho :?
the destruction of everything, is the beginning of something new. your whole world is on fire, and soon, you'll be too..
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crithit5000
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Post by crithit5000 »

First real run-

crithit5000 - 190,600 - 1-4 - MAME

:( :( :(

I goofed up 1-3 bad, and it carried over to 1-4. I'm considering putting together a pooperplay vid of Gradius for my own amusement...

EDIT:FUCK, I HATE 1-7!

crithit5000 - 346,300 - 1-7 - MAME

I AM GOING TO 1CC THIS BITCH IF IT KILLS ME! :evil: :evil: :evil:
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Post by landshark »

I've still never figured out how to milk the volcanos in 1-1 in Gradius. They scroll too far left for me to park my ship on the bottom left. And I can't stay in the middle because ultimately a super-fast arching rock flies into me. I usually stay in the bottom middle for about 5 seconds and then fly to the upper left with my options drug below me.

And I vote we play Gradius as well. Nemesis is much easier.
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Post by crithit5000 »

Here you go, landshark-

http://letsdestroytheinternet.org/misc/ ... o_0001.wmv

Best viewed with DivX's player...comes out all choppy with WMP...and wow, my first demonstration... :oops:
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