Shmup Ticker: What are you playing RIGHT NOW?

[Jonst]

... I have no idea what to play right now...

[Squire Grooktook]

Play Mecha Ritz

[Stevens]

... I have no idea what to play right now...

I've been digging Steredenn on Steam when not trying to clear Futari.

Also Dragon Blaze/Gunbird 2/Strikers perhaps?

[Jonst]

I dunno man... I have those games, but I've never really gotten into psikyo games... I'd love to have another go at ibara (any mode) but it just fucks me up every time, it's one game I never seem to progress on... I'd also love to break from shmups altogether for a bit, but I can never manage it!

[Stevens]

I don't see Mars Matrix on your 1 CC list..

[Jonst]

... And you probably never will!...

[nekketsu]

I have those games, but I've never really gotten into psikyo games

You and me both. I have broad tastes and dig most shmup companies' stuff, both new and old, but Psikyo has just never clicked with me. Have no idea why.

[Jonst]

I do like the strikers games, and I know dragon blaze is good... But I just don't go out of my way to play them... I have most if not all of their games, but... Meh!... There's nothing wrong with them but they just don't hold my interest for long.

[nekketsu]

For me it's definitely down to "feel" but I still can't put my finger on it. They just don't grab me in a big way. Strikers, Gunbird, whatever, just don't hold my interest as you say. Well made games which I want to like, but "meh" for me indeed.

[Jonst]

Back to cave then!

Btw, your avatar is cool, what's it from?

[nekketsu]

It's one of the Garegga pilots from his Batrider ending scene. So it's like a 2X Raizing multiplier.

[Jonst]

Ah! Nice one. I thought I sort of recognised it!

[Gamer707b]

... I have no idea what to play right now...

Im curious, do you only play shooters? Cause for me personally there is no way I can ever run out of ideas of what to play. I love rpgs , platformers,etc. I was just wondering if you or anyone else here for that matter, played mainly shmups or everything else?

[Jonst]

Well, I do, or at least I did. I have lots of games across a lot of systems... But I seem to have a hard time breaking from shmups. I Just don't stay interested in other genres of games for long. It's a bit annoying really... It's not like I don't have a ton to choose from. I've only really played shmups properly for about the last 3 or 4 years, so haven't played much else since getting into them.

[Stevens]

Played a rather drunkish credit in Futari last night and actually got all the way to Larsa.

It was my last life and I only had one bomb, but I still managed to get her down to about 33%.

Perhaps today.

[Jonst]

^ if not today, any day now man!

[Stevens]

^ if not today, any day now man!

Yeah. All the signs are there. Just ran stages 3, 4, and 5 in training. Got the stage 4 boss down to a 1 bomb. It should be soon:D

[The Armchair General]

I've been playing Donpachi recently. I've been trying to get a really high score in it and I've currently routed stages 1-3. The run I'm copying off of is Chibari's couterstop run except I haven't been able to copy his really big chains. I have no clue how to pull off the 100+ chain at the start of stage 3 and if chibari's run isn't a TAS he is truly the god of Donpachi.

[doom_]

I've been playing Donpachi recently. I've been trying to get a really high score in it and I've currently routed stages 1-3. The run I'm copying off of is Chibari's couterstop run except I haven't been able to copy his really big chains. I have no clue how to pull off the 100+ chain at the start of stage 3 and if chibari's run isn't a TAS he is truly the god of Donpachi.

I started playing donpachi too. As I am really unexperienced with shmups my first goal would be to 1CC the first loop. Wish me luck! I'll need it.

[Gamer707b]

Whats up all. Trying to clear Galactic Attack on Saturn. Playing with the Japanese pad btw. I believe this controller is the best for arcade style games. Anyway, been at it for almost a week. I get to the last level boss (stage 7) but I choke. I feel like Im right there.....uh. He just barely escapes defeat. Question for those that may know. You get an extra ship after every 500,000 points, but I noticed that after like 2 or 3 ships , I don't get any extra ships anymore even though Im earning the 500,000. Ive gotten SO much play out of this game, it aint even funny. Im ready to finish it and finally put it away.

[Gamer707b]

This is my first attempt for a clear in a shooter btw. Give me some positive energy fellow shmuppers.

[The Armchair General]

I started playing donpachi too. As I am really unexperienced with shmups my first goal would be to 1CC the first loop. Wish me luck! I'll need it.

Donpachi was my very first arcade shmup clear and I can say it can be hard for a beginner. Good luck on the clear and I hope to see a post about it on the 1CC thread soon!

P.S: I recommend you bomb as much as you can on the first three stages because it will give you extra bomb slots. Also play on the US version because it will fill up all of your bomb slots at the end of each stage.

This is my first attempt for a clear in a shooter btw. Give me some positive energy fellow shmuppers.

Good luck m8

[Shepardus]

In addition to filling up the entire bomb stock at the end of each stage (instead of giving you bombs equal to the stage number), the US version of Donpachi also has slower bullets. There's also the Hong Kong version if you're feeling masochistic.

[pokemon123]

In addition to filling up the entire bomb stock at the end of each stage (instead of giving you bombs equal to the stage number), the US version of Donpachi also has slower bullets and some other minor differences such as a certain enemy in stage 3 not dropping a bomb. There's also the Hong Kong version if you're feeling masochistic.

has anyone even 2-ALLED the hong kong version?

[SMC]

It's doubtful. Hong Kong is virtually unplayable in the later stages, and is relatively obscure compared to other versions.

[Jonst]

Looks like I'm back to ketsupachi. Had a break from this for a while, but the break has seen me no worse off. I regularly manage to no miss until at least the stage 4 boss, even then it's its due to cocky play or a stupid mistake. The game doesn't give me too much trouble, but I think I need to no miss into the last stage to survive the brutality, as by then the rank is through the roof and I find it harder to get the 10x chips and stock bombs/hypers... I've come close to clearing a month or two back... Hopefully, I'll bothercto stick with it until I've done it...

[LordHypnos]

Finally got around to booting up the 360 again, and of course I needed to install like two updates or something. However, I played a bit of Under Defeat. It's pretty fun, and I've definitely forgotten how to get through the second stage boss (luckily I do have replays that I'll watch eventually). Also am not 100% here mentally today, so it might be better after a bit of rest.

On an unrelated note, I rewatched the movie Shoot 'em up, and it was really freakin' good / over the top as usual. Holy shit.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Sideline. On Normal difficulty, it's a brilliantly done game that's reminiscent of a euroshmup without many of the failings of the genre (hitbox isn't gigantic, bombs, no lifebar, etc).

But I'm trying to clear it on Hard, and the toughest part is the massive health boost all enemies get, in addition to lots more/faster bullets in specific areas like the shafts in stage 5 where screen-filling pods appear. Many sections now become a race to kill things in a timely fashion, or become places where you have to avoid the enemies, rather than gun them down!

I did manage to work out a strategy for not getting destroyed at the start of stage 6 by the hoppers, as I discovered they always drop a bomb if you have two gunpods attached, so you can toss bombs if need be without seriously depleting yourself.

Stage 8 then has way, way too many enemies that just soak up bullets when you get to the serious section. Aghhhh, I want the clear!

[LordHypnos]

Working on Under Defeat. I managed to get through stage 2 again, so now I'm trying to get back to learning stage 3. I still make a lot of mistakes in the first half of the stage, but have the actual routing back to basically where it was. I haven't yet beat the midboss without dying again, yet, but I probably just need to watch the replay again, and practice it a bit. The actual stage boss though is looking pretty intimidating (impossible, even), but that's where I hit a wall on my last attempt, and once I get the rest of the first 3 stages back to where they were I should be able to approach it with refreshed patience.

[Shepardus]

Yesterday I played through Astebreed for the first time. Played it on Normal, it was smooth sailing through the first four chapters (though I'm sure my score was trash), but I got my ass handed to me on the chapter 5 boss and even more on chapter 6, and I had to continue a whole bunch of times (the game restarts you at the previous checkpoint if you continue, like most non-shmup games but unlike many shmups). Overall I liked the game. The EX attacks in particular are a lot of fun, but controlling the dash attack and aiming the narrow cone lock-on still feels a bit iffy to me. The game does a great job of being friendly and appealing to people new to the genre without being an insult to either newcomers or veterans. Feels very different from most shmups, though, which is conveyed by the mech theme; I wouldn't be surprised if people unfamiliar with shmups manage to go through the entire game without thinking of it as one.

Also playing DonPachi, stage 4 is still a massive dick that's longer than a baguette.