How to play shmups correctly?

[sonicdv]

Hello, I have always been an enthusiast of these sorts of games, even though I am horrible at them. I am currently attempting to beat Radiant Silvergun and am having trouble. Does anybody know of good ways to conserve continues and dodge bullets better. Thanks.

[Dave_K.]

Welcome to the shmups forum sonicdv!

I wouldn't say there is a "correct" way to play shumups, but here are some general tips to get better:

- read the strategy section threads (1ups, collecting item strategy, scoring strategy, etc.)
GD: Radiant Silvergun 1cc
RQ: Levelling weapons in Radiant Silvergun
RQ: Need good Radiant Silvergun strat source.
RQ: RSG's last boss?
- understand your ship hitbox location and size
- general bullet hearding techniques (although not sure this applies to RSG).

I'll leave it to others to give specific RSG tips as I haven't played this a whole lot.

[EmperorIng]

Radiant Silvergun is a particularly hard one for a beginner because it has very strict mechanics which you need to follow: namely, you need to be always leveling up your weapons in order to survive.

If you are playing on Story Mode, through enough attempts you will finally store enough credits and level-ups to make it through to the later stages and bosses.

If you are playing Arcade Mode, then you have to be uber-precise about WHAT enemies you kill, and HOW. In general, the level-up, you need to either chain the same colors together (typically red enemies, and ignore the others), or at specific points trigger "secret" chains, of starting with one red enemy, then one blue, then one yellow, and chain yellows afterwards. The most obvious spot for a huge weapon level-boost is right before the boss that you have to hide behind pillars to avoid its lasers in the first stage. Another obvious spot is the large block of zako satellites before you fight the Golets brothers.

Basically, most of the game concentrate on maintaining a "chain" of red enemies, and at certain spots go for secret chains. I would recommend watching some playthroughs of the game in order to pick up some neat tips on how to survive.

In shootemups in general, you slowly develop some habits to help you get further in the games. Namely: learning to kill large or threatening enemies first when they appear, before they can be a hassle; memorizing trouble spots and positioning your ship/chara in the right spot to kill enemies before they flood the screen; tactics and secrets for gaining 1ups/"extends" to survive further into the levels - and so on. Part of the fun is struggling and learning to accept your player death as part of the larger process of learning the game. I don't know how to explain it, but after a while, you go from focusing on enemies, to focusing on your ship (and dodging), and at the last stage, you kinda get the ability to see the entire playfield at once, and make movements holistically to dodge and intercept enemies.

So keep on practicing until you can beat RSG with the continues you have! After a while, if you want a huge challenge, you can go for it without continues! I started with the genre being unable to beat anything unless I used the 9 continues the games gave me through cheat codes - particularly Saturn games like Darius Gaiden and Layer Section. Over time I improved and I can beat Darius without continuing.

I'd recommend checking out the Strategy Section to also find topics on Radiant Silvergun for tips - you're not the first person to have a hard time with the game (I still haven't beaten arcade mode on one continue - the furthest I've gotten is Nasu the snake boss on stage 2!). EDIT: A save by Icarus! Those are good topics to check out.

[Ex_Mosquito]

If you want to play shooters at a decent level you need to understand how it all works and the limitations. Finding out what type of bullet the enemy is firing is an important first step. For example: directly aimed at your ship, static (location of your ship doesn’t influence the trajectory of the enemy’s bullet, when they fire (can you point-blank them before they fire) Also I’d advise as a priority to learn the hit box of your and enemy ships, giving bullets a wide dodge when you don’t really need to will is cutting down you dodging options. Have a few suicide runs just to test out the basics eg: ram into enemies, let bullets hit you, overlap bosses. Purposely dying can help you get raw information instead of just playing it safe and assuming things.

[sonicdv]

These do help, does anybody know how to get more credits in Silvergun? In Ikaruga if you kept playing the game you got them, but I have about 4 hours on R.S. and it isn't going up.

[EmperorIng]

You get more credits for story mode the longer you play arcade mode.

Arcade mode you can just feed credits (at least on the Saturn).

[brokenhalo]

Hello, I have always been an enthusiast of these sorts of games, even though I am horrible at them. I am currently attempting to beat Radiant Silvergun and am having trouble. Does anybody know of good ways to conserve continues and dodge bullets better. Thanks.

Another good resource is to watch other players replays. Especially on a game like RS which requires a fairly rigid play style to progress, watching someone who has figured the game out and stealing a little bit of their strategy is a good way to progress without having to invent the wheel yourself.

Saturn mode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPeHuCJntGM
Arcade mode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDCKz9KCpME

[Plasmo]

RS being more rigid than any other shmup is a myth tho. It's not.

[brokenhalo]

RS being more rigid than any other shmup is a myth tho. It's not.

I mean more in the leveling than in the gameplay. I haven't played much RS, but it seems like if you aren't leveling up your weapons a bit the game gets a lot tougher.

[Shepardus]

There's "how to play shmups correctly," and then there's "how to play Radiant Silvergun correctly." RSG plays a fair bit differently from most other shooters.

[d0s]

You should start playing and getting god at some other game with simpler mechanics and then come back to RS (or not when you figure out it's mad overrated and those other games are way more fun)

[Obiwanshinobi]

Whichever way is enjoyable for you. Whether you credit-feed or never continue, when it's not fun anymore, that's where I would stop. Now, if you ask how to PRACTICE, most general tip I've found useful is to practice frequently in brief sessions (say, 20 minutes each morning) rather than 'till you drop. "Make yourself comfortable" may sound trivial, but it's kind of double-relevant to such demending activities.

[sonicdv]

Finally beat this game with 3 continues and weapons around lvl 23. I somehow no-hit the final boss on my last life. I don't think I can 1cc it.

[Deadliar]

Awesomely done.

Now play Judgement Silversword

[ratikal]

Finally beat this game with 3 continues and weapons around lvl 23. I somehow no-hit the final boss on my last life. I don't think I can 1cc it.

You say that now but give it a year of playing any game in this genre and you might say something otherwise.

[OmegaFlareX]

I don't think I can 1cc it.

You don't "beat" it until you 1CC, especially shmups without checkpoints such as RSG. Keep playing, you can do it.

Shmup progression:
0. (checkpoint shmups only) Clear all stages (continues ok)
1. 1CC
2. Score High (maybe top 10 leaderboard?)
3. WR/Counterstop

[Xyga]

How to play shmups correctly?

Move 'Zig'.
Shoot the core.
Be attitude for gains.
Stick to it and believe in your power.

[casualcoder]

I'll pare it down the simplest possible advice that I find effective: tap to move, don't hold.

Of course there are some scenarios where you do hold a direction to move, but most noobs fly around in erratic patterns. You should be thinking in terms of tiny, conserved movements.

[Deadliar]

I'll pare it down the simplest possible advice that I find effective: tap to move, don't hold.

Of course there are some scenarios where you do hold a direction to move, but most noobs fly around in erratic patterns. You should be thinking in terms of tiny, conserved movements.

This very much depends on the shmup. In some, the strategy really is to keep moving at all times.

[mycophobia]

I don't think I can 1cc it.

You don't "beat" it until you 1CC, especially shmups without checkpoints such as RSG. Keep playing, you can do it.

Shmup progression:
0. (checkpoint shmups only) Clear all stages (continues ok)
1. 1CC
2. Score High (maybe top 10 leaderboard?)
3. WR/Counterstop

I think it's fine to use continues for practice even on non-checkpoint games as long as you have a reasonable limit (e.g. 3 or 4 continues total). Then you whittle that limit down until you're doing 1CC attempts.

[Dave_K.]

Awesomely done.

Now play Judgement Silversword

^ this!

[bikingjahuty]

I feel like there is no wrong or right way to play, but one very important thing to have when playing a shmup, especially when trying to 1cc or get a high score is commitment. You will have to sink serious time into an STG in order to memorize ship order, attack patterns, upgrade spots, and pretty much get to know the game front to back. Like most things, the more you play it the better you'll become.

[davyK]

Practice,practice, practice.


And then practice some more.


I agree with what some others are saying. RSG probably isn't a great start. I personally find it hard to look past DoDonPachi as an intro to the modern game. Layer Section if you fancy something more old school.