Shmups with annoying "dead air" ?

[copy-paster]

What I mean about "dead air" is that, err... have you know the first stage of R-Type III? Yeah dead air is pretty much like that.

I heard that most games developed by Compile had relatively long stages filled with dead air, but I haven't played any of their games so can't speak more.

[MathU]

The long transition period between stages in Darius really tests my patience sometimes.

[Durandal]

The Taurus tank boss in RefleX.
It's just such a waste of time to actually kill the thing. It's pathetically easy to fight and the unique score opportunities are nihil, while there is a limit to how much you can damage the thing per phase, because it just has to survive throughout the whole elevator ride.

[Kollision]

BlaZeon SNES wants to have a talk with you

[Squire Grooktook]

I only played 1 or 2 credits of it, but Zero Wing AC had a number of moments like this that put me off from trying it again.

[scrilla4rella]

BlaZeon SNES wants to have a talk with you

this is the worst offender, in my experience. The game is prob one of the worst shmups on SNES/SFC, and that's saying a lot.

I don't know, maybe it has some redeeming qualities but the 'dead air' (great descriptor!) makes it so boring that I quickly loose all motivation to play more.

[Jeneki]

R-Type Final's first stage ... zzzzzzz
Einhander's extra long tunnels for hiding load times.
And of course Sina Mora, which has more dead air than game.

[wizkid]

I heard that most games developed by Compile had relatively long stages filled with dead air, but I haven't played any of their games so can't speak more.

I like Compile games, but dead air(or what feels like it) is a major problem in Super Aleste, felt really padded out, can't play it without falling asleep even though it's not their easiest game.

[Bananamatic]

battle garegga

[pegboy]

BlaZeon SNES wants to have a talk with you

This by far. BlaZeon literally has many 30-60 second long sections where absolutely nothing happens. 60 seconds is a really long time in a shmup for nothing to happen, it seems like an eternity.

[Vludi]

Gekirindan

[Kollision]

The first time I played Blazeon I thought my cartridge was defective.

[kitten]

i may be biased because this particular instance is very recent in my memory, but the pc engine game "syd mead's terraforming" is the worst i've ever experienced about this. if you pick up homing shot, there are expanses longer than 30 seconds where you can hold down fire and not even move. the second level, aside from the boss, i think might be able to be beaten without movement, and is minutes long.

pc engine games very frequently have this problem, honestly. that one macross game and spriggan mark II also have some particularly bad bits, where either literally nothing is happening or there are long swarms of harmless popcorn. those two games at least have the excuse of trying to be more cinematic to explain their failings, but terraforming is played like a straight shooter and it comes across as much more insulting and obnoxious.

[Special World]

I can't stand Border Down because of how long it takes for the static to clear between each death.

[Koa Zo]

Gaiares has got to be one of the worst offenders.
I appreciate what could maybe be described as cinematic pacing, but the checkpoint respawn coupled with approach-flight theatrics completely kills the engagement.

I can't stand Border Down because of how long it takes for the static to clear between each death.

Come to think of it, that always took me out of the game too.

Compile does come to mind too, but those spaces feel a little more like "breathers" than a complete removal of the player from the game.

[Special World]

I actually am super okay with the idea of breather (dead air) moments, though. I think Eschatos does this best, having brief cinematic moments that make the game 100% more memorable. There's really an art to it.

[BIL]

^ I agree, and I enjoy a more cinematic STG too, but in terms of duration the line between breather and layoff is very easily crossed. And generally, I find the effect works best when the game has really "earned" it. There's a few brief lulls in Ketsui that I like, primarily for the sheer intensity on either side of them. In something easier it's more likely to come across as an outright blank (SFC Blazeon sounds terrifying, I'd wonder if I was losing my mind or something ).

Gradius V has my ideal cinematic pause (no not those ones lmao! "Let's roll!" How about you stfu! :O ). It's the one right after you bust out of st2's battleship, when the music fades and the Vic does this sweet barrel roll showing the clouds and nearby ships orbiting the planet. Lasts a few seconds, looks great, and segues perfectly into the boss rush and its booming rendition of Salamander's "Poison of Snake."

"Popcorn mowing" bits are the same, imo. Done right, it can be viscerally gratifying to just let fucking rip on a haplessly charging zako onslaught. Despite being an easier game, Hyper Duel has a couple really good examples of this in its fourth and seventh stages (it helps that the game's max weapons are outsized as hell, too). Has to be the accent rather than the emphasis of the stage, though.

[Kollision]

Gradius V has my ideal cinematic pause (no not those ones lmao! "Let's roll!" How about you stfu! :O ). It's the one right after you bust out of st2's battleship, when the music fades and the Vic does this sweet barrel roll showing the clouds and nearby ships orbiting the planet. Lasts a few seconds, looks great, and segues perfectly into the boss rush and its booming rendition of Salamander's "Poison of Snake."

Agreed.

In the same fashion, Thunder Force VI has lovely transitions.
Too bad the game is so lackluster.

[Despatche]

I don't really understand what happened with Blazeon SFC. Everything about the game is magically worse.

I'm gonna put Gradius III SFC in here, because fuck Super Slowdown™ and its ability to blow up the length of a game exponentially.