After a week of desperation, hightly ambitions, lambent experimentation and crushing losses, I just managed to clear Einhänder! Had to play on my modern TV for my CRT is dying, and as such the defeated final boss is adequately blurry, though the result pictures of my meagre score aren't too bad:
This was a very difficult clear for me thanks to three reasons:
- Shifting perspectives, tilted angles, technical trickery in a game that has a lot of frantic action.
- Randomization both regarding some nasty boss patterns and weapon drops (the latter of which I don't find too compelling - sometimes I got four Grenade drops in stage 2, other times none at all).
- Several buttons and arrangements to keep in mind even when things become hectic. Took me some time not to accidentally switch out an expedient weapon with a lot of ammunition for some unwanted stuff!
However, the victory is all the sweeter for it (and the fact that I only credit-fed for practice, videos didn't help much since almost all of those I could find had masters of their craft at work who killed everything before it could do anything). Felt pretty smug when I figured out that I could use Blade in the tough stretch before the level 5 boss to slash all those ships and mines to death whilst hugging the ground and warily tapping out of the way of the innumerable ships above. This credit was also very tense, was on my last life when I killed the mid-boss of stage 5 and miraculously finished the game on the same life. Survived one of those impossible gatling gun volleys from the fifth boss because my weapon somehow protected me this time (seriously, how do you dodge that when he fires three times in a row?), Hyperion on the other hand was stupendously friendly this time. Will add some more thoughts later in the Einhänder thread, needless to say that despite some infuriating moments, I loved the experience!