Shmup Ticker: What are you playing RIGHT NOW?

[BIL]

When the game is good though, its real good. Those moments where you really are juggling shield/vs fire/dodging are sublime. I personally think that Biometal does the same concept a bit better and more elegantly though. Despite not having reflection, its similar in terms of having a recharging "guard" mechanic, and it balances it for white hot knuckle action a lot better overall imo. Of course, you can't get Siter Skains distinctive cinematics anywhere else.

Very much my thoughts on RefleX vs Kamui. Shooters built around offensive/defensive "meter juggling" need a certain tempo, and ebb/flow... Kamui utterly nails this, stages wound tight around the bullet-cancelling, hardcase-smashing, multiplier-devouring God Laser, the player wielding shot/lock/beam in concert on the line between score and survival. RefleX has the basic components for similar, but its pacing just isn't as consistent as Siter Skain's first, or indeed Bio Metal's unrefined but ultra-visceral Shield And Smash.

Certainly a decent shooter at the least, without even considering its immense apocalyptic theatre. Just up against some brutally sharp competition both within and without its lineage.

Guys like Jaimers can make patterns like that look easy but executing them yourself is another matter altogether!

There is nothing like watching a 1cc or superplay to lull you into a sense of underestimating a games difficulty.

Motherfucking this. Experts tend to make things look doable, it's what they do.

ag1999 I kinda like you <3 but you need to STFU and get shumping. 3; I'd bet my left nut that touhou pattern is way the fuck more dangerous than anything in NES Gradius's first loop. ASSUMING BOTH ARE BEING PLAYED COMPETENTLY, AND YOU'RE NOT DOING DUMB SHIT LIKE FIGHTING BOSS 6 "Curiously Fallopian Destructible Bullet Pooter" WITHOUT OPTIONS (・｀W´・) edit: Even then I srsly doubt there isn't some hidey spot

Also, get beating Ninja Gaiden so I can afford you official task force status. My dream is to build a corps of capable men to forever smash the heretical scrub dream of hard nes games.

[EmperorIng]

My dream is to build a corps of capable men to forever smash the heretical scrub dream of hard nes games.

I just keep on thinking back to Super Raiden's call to arms: "Only an excellent pilot is able to operate this bomber. Maybe it's you."

[BIL]

Precisely.

(・｀ω´・)

( ・｀ω｀・)>⌐■-■

(■｀ω´■)

[maximo310]

Wow this is the first time I've found someone who says that the stage 6 boss of Gradius is difficult.
What a guy

[atheistgod1999]

Wow this is the first time I've found someone who says that the stage 6 boss of Gradius is difficult.
What a guy

To be fair, I was super tired the last time I played. Every other time it was a cakewalk.

Speaking of Touhou: What's the game that has "Bad Apple" as part of the OST?

[Shepardus]

Bad Apple is the stage 3 BGM for Touhou 4: Lotus Land Story, one of the PC-98 Touhou games.

[Squire Grooktook]

When the game is good though, its real good. Those moments where you really are juggling shield/vs fire/dodging are sublime. I personally think that Biometal does the same concept a bit better and more elegantly though. Despite not having reflection, its similar in terms of having a recharging "guard" mechanic, and it balances it for white hot knuckle action a lot better overall imo. Of course, you can't get Siter Skains distinctive cinematics anywhere else.

Very much my thoughts on RefleX vs Kamui. Shooters built around offensive/defensive "meter juggling" need a certain tempo, and ebb/flow... Kamui utterly nails this, stages wound tight around the bullet-cancelling, hardcase-smashing, multiplier-devouring God Laser, the player wielding shot/lock/beam in concert on the line between score and survival. RefleX has the basic components for similar, but its pacing just isn't as consistent as Siter Skain's first, or indeed Bio Metal's unrefined but ultra-visceral Shield And Smash.

Certainly a decent shooter at the least, without even considering its immense apocalyptic theatre. Just up against some brutally sharp competition both within and without its lineage.

Indeed. As I mentioned, I think Kamui is the most mechanically elegant and deep game of the trilogy. There's legitimately a ton to do in each stage, and its rewarding to push it as far as you can.

Alltynex Second is about as tightly paced as Kamui IMO, and its knightly trinity of weapons makes the game feel very "characterful", channeling a unique playstyle and personality through its memorable blade and beam wielding player character. But I think Kamui ultimately comes out on top in terms of scoring depth (and, on its highest difficulty, brutality).

RefleX I think has some of the greatest highs and also the greatest lows of the series (which, this being a quality developer, the lowest moments never go below "solid action"). It's not the best executed, but its special in its own way.

I think Siter Skain is a really lovable developer. Unlike some developers who are happy to take a concept and fucking repeat it 30 times, refining it to perfection at the cost of creative sterility, Siter Skain never seem content to have made the same game twice*. Everything is a bit flawed, but also unique and creative as a result.

*

Spoiler

Well, as I understand it, Alltynex Second and RefleX are remakes of early Fm Town games they made, but eh close enough.

[Gamer683441]

Ive gone back to Gaiares on Genesis. Ive have it for a couple years and never could get past level 2. I haven't touched it in months so I decided to play it last night . I don't know what it was about me , but I was having SO much fun. Playing fluidly and calmly that I finally was able to best the mermaid level 2 boss. Figured out her easiest pattern and now I can beat her more smoothly. The more I play this game, the more I fall in love with it. I don't know what it is about 16 bit shooters that are most appealing to me. I think it might just hit the perfect sweet spot of simplicity and complexity.

[The Armchair General]

Today is my 2 year anniversary since I started playing STGs.

Well, sort of. For months I thought today was it but it turns out that the real is June 27th 2014. It all started when I played Touhou 6: The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil and got addicted to it very quickly. I guess I'll make a longer post than I usually do for this occasion.

As you might expect I'm still playing Donpachi. After my 25 mil run I started practicing for a 24+ mil type B run. For this run I want to NMNB up to and including 2-1. Currently I can NMNB and bee perfect stage 4 about every 1 in 5 attempts. Stage 5 I'm not consistent at and have only NMNBed the stage once with type B. 2-1 I'm somewhat consistent at but I've put in next to no practice in it.

After that I tried fiddling around with type C and NMNBed very hard 2-1, 2-2, 2-3 with the ship. The 2-3 type C NMNB was probably one of the least enjoyable things I've ever done in a STG. This is because unlike type A, type C has a section 20 seconds in that has a 70% failure rate for me (It's the section with the second Cairon ship). Combine that with type A's terrible section at around the half way point when this plane arrives which also has a 70% failure rate and your chances of even making it through the have way point are low. With that said a type C 2-3 NMNB was something I didn't think I would ever see happen when I first started playing DP so I'm happy I did it . After this I stopped playing the game for a week and a half because of a camping trip.

Yesterday I 2-ALLed DP again just for fun. The run ended with a score of 21 mil and one spare life. The victory was bitter sweet because it took me 14 attempts and it honestly shouldn't take me anymore than 7 attempts to 2-ALL this game with how much I've practiced it. Because my attempt count irritated me I decided to try to no miss the second loop again and after many attempts I no missed the second loop for the 6th time . I'm now officially done with playing as type A for at least the time being.

I'm now taking a break from DP and playing twinkle star sprites and something a little extra. I'll write about that extra thing once I clear it.

tl;dr: 2-3 type C NMNB sucks and I've both 2-ALLed and then no missed DP second loop because why not? It's also my shmoops cake day.

[OmKol]

Unfortunately still Touhou 14.3.

Spoiler

Are you fucking kidding me?

[WelshMegalodon]

Playing Mushihime-sama for the first time and dear God is my hitbox tiny. It almost lulls you into a false sense of security at first. In any case, beautiful game, incredible atmosphere. Even with this weaker title, I can see now why all the Top 25 lists end up being mostly Cave*. How in the world are these not more popular in the States?

*

Spoiler

Yes, this is my first Cave game since I didn't feel like starting with Dodonpachi.

[atheistgod1999]

So I've gotten back into Gradius on NES. I would've beaten it like 2 weeks ago if it weren't for the barrier in the final level; I have no idea how to get past it.

Is it supposed to be a puzzle, or am I just being retarded?

[BIL]

Uh, the blue crusher gate that closes when the screen stops scrolling? Just go through it before it can shut, and wait at the right screen edge.

Also this isn't actually fanart of Godcat from Metal Black, but I don't even care.

Spoiler

[Shepardus]

So I've gotten back into Gradius on NES. I would've beaten it like 2 weeks ago if it weren't for the barrier in the final level; I have no idea how to get past it.

Is it supposed to be a puzzle, or am I just being retarded?

If you're talking about the door at the end of the stage that closes, then it's the latter. Just go through it before it closes.

[BIL]

then it's the latter.

[Shepardus]

then it's the latter.

I'm sure we've all done similarly silly things. That said, I hope this isn't what he's asking.

[atheistgod1999]

I'm actually glad to hear that it's the latter.

P.S.: Stage 6's boss is easy; I was just extremely tired the last time I played before I said that.

[Despatche]

Well, as I understand it, Alltynex Second and RefleX are remakes of early Fm Town games they made, but eh close enough.

Alltynex Second is a remake of the 1996 FM Towns game Alltynex. The weapons are the same (that is to say, it predates Radiant Silvergun), but I don't think Alltynex had any bit of the special scoring system in Second, and of course the games feel completely different.

Development of RefleX is a bit complicated. It started out as a 1997 PC demo called Reflection (that is to say, it predates Giga Wing). You can still download it, and it still works on newer PCs (up to at least Windows 7). Then, a demo for a remake called RefleX was released alongside the full version of Kamui in 1999. This appears to be a working download, and it works on Windows 7 as well.

Raid Wind, Alltynex, and Reflection are something of a trilogy themselves. They were made before Siter Skain was put together (though Reflection was released just after the Kamui demo was; Ysuer, the Reflection/RefleX developer, had not formally joined Siter Skain yet), and Alltynex even calls itself "Project Raid Wind 2".

[Stevens]

I've been playing but a bit lighter than usual lately, I have about five hours with Gradius V since bringing it home.

I haven't played a hori like this since R Type, and I haven't spent real time with R Type since I was 11. Since I've started playing shooters I've grown accustomed to a loop being 20 - 25 minutes. That gets me to around the 3rd stage boss, which is as far as I've seen on a credit.

Also who is this scorpion looking asshole that steals my options?

[BIL]

Also who is this scorpion looking asshole that steals my options?

Option Hunter! He's in most Gradiuses since II. Like a lot of Gradius stuff he even got a Yu Gi Oh cameo. Get a fourth Option and a countdown to his appearance begins. Avoiding them takes some finesse, you have to let them lock on and start their horizontal charge then scoot out of the way.

Very cool bit in Gradius Gaiden when

Spoiler

OVUM's skeletal gate opens to release a whole swarm of the buggers.

[wgogh]

DoDonpachi
Battle Bakraid
Giga Wing

battle bakraid being the one im actually aiming to clear

[Stevens]

Option Hunter! He's in most Gradiuses since II. Like a lot of Gradius stuff he even got a Yu Gi Oh cameo. Get a fourth Option and a countdown to his appearance begins. Avoiding them takes some finesse, you have to let them lock on and start their horizontal charge then scoot out of the way.

Very cool bit in Gradius Gaiden when

Spoiler

OVUM's skeletal gate opens to release a whole swarm of the buggers.

Thanks for that. I'll just presume he will show up at the worst possible moment every time.

I was on the vertical part the first time he appeared and I figured he was bad. Is it a viable strategy to suicide in order to keep your options?

[Shepardus]

Not really, but it is a viable strategy to keep yourself at three options to avoid triggering the option hunter.

[Stevens]

Thanks guys!

[Chaos Phoenixma]

That does not work on Gradius III Arcade and possibly the others after it. It'll still eventually show up with less than 4 there, just 4 options has the least time between appearances.

[Perikles]

That does not work on Gradius III Arcade and possibly the others after it. It'll still eventually show up with less than 4 there, just 4 options has the least time between appearances.

You can prevent the option hunter from showing up in Gaiden, at least. It's interesting how III has probably the least problematic option hunter in the entire series despite being an overall unforgiving game. II's version of the guy is a plague, it's not enough to merely dodge him, you also have to learn certain "option safe spots" for some of the boss fights such as the Gunwall and the Covered Core since you have no space/opportunity for evasive shenanigans.

[Stevens]

Upon only one meeting with him I have decided he is a cunt and that if I had a time machine I would murder his grandparents.

I'll try both three options and learning to dodge him. Sure if he doesn't show with three that is good, but it costs me 20% of my fire power.

[BIL]

Which Type are you using btw? 2 (aimable) is probably the best for an easy initial clear, but besides being more powerful in experienced hands, 1 (freeze) is simplest to keep out of Hunter's grasp. Just cluster them over the Vic (pressing against a screen edge or moving in a tight circle will do this) before he charges. Even Types 3 (spacing) and 4 (rotating) might be easier to keep clear than 2, since they don't trail behind.

[Stevens]

Started with 2, went to 3 and 4 briefly, and then figured out you can mimic 3 and 4 with type 1.

Don't really like that you can't move with type 2.

[pegboy]

Weapon Edit > Type 1 > Type 2 > Type 3 > Type 4

Type 2 is probably the most fun to use though.