Shooters with unfair bosses

[Damocles]

Most of the bosses in Undeadline for the X68k. You literally have to be a certain class or sub-class on some of them.

[landshark]

I'm voting Air Gallet, stage4 boss for now. It takes an insane amount of damage at maximum rank, and usually takes two of my lives as well. >.<

I hate the rank system in this game. It gives insane HP to the enemies. The level 4 boss in general sucks balls. It's just mean when it gets really close to the bottom of the screen and starts spamming even though it's just tap tap evasions.

I hate the beginning of the level 5 boss as well. I never know what to do and often draw myself into the corner unable to move up quick enough to avoid the missiles.

[Icarus]

I hate the rank system in this game. It gives insane HP to the enemies. The level 4 boss in general sucks balls. It's just mean when it gets really close to the bottom of the screen and starts spamming even though it's just tap tap evasions.

I hate the beginning of the level 5 boss as well. I never know what to do and often draw myself into the corner unable to move up quick enough to avoid the missiles.

The stage4 boss is definitely a git as it takes up half the screen, and at max rank it spams the other half with fast bullets. I've not found any safe spots or quick kill techniques for the boss in any of my experimental plays, and most of my strategies revolve around how many bombs I have, the bomb type active, and how quick I am on the bomb trigger.

The most amusing thing about this game is the dramatic decrease in boss resilience when you die. The last form of the stage3 boss takes loads of damage if you are at max rank, but die once and it lasts less than five seconds with sustained Laser fire.

The stage5 boss is actually a lot easier than the stage4 boss, once you know how to handle it.

[Thunder Force]

The penultimate boss in Gaiares (the boss with the claws that lash out suddenly), I always felt was the only unfair element in that epic game, and single-handedly created much of the game's difficulty factor.

[Shalashaska]

There's a lot of shmup bosses that can rot in shmup boss hell as far as I'm concerned but I've been playing Strikers 1945 III lately so, of course, this bastard comes to mind.

[Gungriffon Geona]

Garegga's Black Heart Mk2?
Batrider's Envy, Grubby and Discharge?

I found those quite easy. (and both Black Hearts had the only music in the game I actually liked, as well as being my favorite Raizing bosses.)

[landshark]

There's a lot of shmup bosses that can rot in shmup boss hell as far as I'm concerned but I've been playing Strikers 1945 III lately so, of course, this bastard comes to mind.

PIC OF GEOBITE

Yes. YES! Evil. Mean. Unfair. (but fun)

[sven666]

Yup. At the near end or at the end of the outtakes section.

at the very end, he uses 3 bombs but yeah.. no-missing akis last pattern is really something

[Halloween Jack]

Cyvern Level 2 boss

Halloween Jack

[Gungriffon Geona]

allow me to add that acursed 2nd loop final boss from Cho Ren Sha 68K. that thing is nigh-impossible to beat. (though I managed it the other night with all my lives gone. scariest bullet pattern ever on it's last form, if only because it's moving around scatters it into a complete storm.)

[Gorecki]

I think the Gradius V level 5 boss is highly unfair, as I love level 6 yet I cannot for the life of me kill this thing! I've managed it once, after it raped three of my extends and took all of my multiples. Bastard.

[Twiddle]

Garegga's Black Heart Mk2?
Batrider's Envy, Grubby and Discharge?

I found those quite easy. (and both Black Hearts had the only music in the game I actually liked, as well as being my favorite Raizing bosses.)

credit feeding doesn't count

[Gungriffon Geona]

Garegga's Black Heart Mk2?
Batrider's Envy, Grubby and Discharge?

I found those quite easy. (and both Black Hearts had the only music in the game I actually liked, as well as being my favorite Raizing bosses.)

credit feeding doesn't count

I honestly didn't have to. it was an easy fight either way. infact, I found the first one the harder of them.

[Twiddle]

by credit feeding i mean "using more than one credit for the entire game" not just "using more than one credit for a single boss"

if you continue at all, of course the game is going to be easy as you most likely have dropped to minimum rank because of the continue

not that you'd notice or care about such a thing

[Icarus]

Considering Black Heart2 is Garegga's penultimate boss; and Envy, Grubby and Discharge are Batrider's stage5, 6 and last bosses on Advanced respectively, I see no ALL scores posted.

[Gungriffon Geona]

by credit feeding i mean "using more than one credit for the entire game" not just "using more than one credit for a single boss"

if you continue at all, of course the game is going to be easy as you most likely have dropped to minimum rank because of the continue

not that you'd notice or care about such a thing

I could 1CC it if I tried for a few days, but I don't care to since the game bored me. on that run (which was the first time playing the game.) I only used... I think 3 or 4 credits on the game in total. but eh, not that it really matters to me.

[Icarus]

Every game would bore me too if I was rapidly jamming credits into it.

[Gungriffon Geona]

if that were true then I would find Bakraid the most boring game of all time, but it's quite the opposite to me. And 3 or 4 credits isn't that much considering how long the game drags out.

[Twiddle]

Think of how much less boring Bakraid would be if you were to understand how to drag a x64 for half a stage

Same thought process used to get points out of Batrider and Garegga, only much less forgiving.

*Please note that we do not take setting/graphics/# of "unique" weapon systems as valid praises or criticisms of a game

[Rob]

I only used... I think 3 or 4 credits on the game in total. but eh, not that it really matters to me.

See: rank. Plus bombs bombs bombs for dying. It's not too easy.

[sikraiken]

Surely this speaks for itself (Mushihimesama ultra mode):



I'd pay to see that cleared on one life without bomb usage.

[Gungriffon Geona]

Think of how much less boring Bakraid would be if you were to understand how to drag a x64 for half a stage

Same thought process used to get points out of Batrider and Garegga, only much less forgiving.

*Please note that we do not take setting/graphics/# of "unique" weapon systems as valid praises or criticisms of a game

There's a difference between playing for fun and for bragging rights, thank you. that's probably where you keep seeming to wonder how it is I find the game to be shit.
And aside from that, I'm used to Bakraid and Batrider's gameplay. I kept thinking an aura was gonna show up at the first, and the bomb attacks not making the ship invincible was a little tedious. that was what took 2 of those credits. the other 1 or 2 was carelessness.

As for that last little note, if there was never any differences to a game such as those the genre would be quite a bit more dead than it is now.

[Icarus]

There's a difference between playing for fun and for bragging rights, thank you. that's probably where you keep seeming to wonder how it is I find the game to be shit.

To some players, playing for fun and playing for score are one and the same. And playing for those so-called "bragging rights" is also a nice way to extend the life of particular favourites.

And you wonder why so many people complain about longevity in their games when they rapidly cram credits into a game so they can see the ending and staff roll.

And aside from that, I'm used to Bakraid and Batrider's gameplay. I kept thinking an aura was gonna show up at the first, and the bomb attacks not making the ship invincible was a little tedious. that was what took 2 of those credits. the other 1 or 2 was carelessness.

Batrider and Bakraid give you invincibility when bombing. Garegga on the other hand doesn't.

[Gungriffon Geona]

Way to fail. You clearly don't know anything about the gameplay of the games in discussion, despite stating that you do.
Batrider and Bakraid give you invincibility when bombing. Garegga on the other hand doesn't.

That is exactly what I said. you obviously didn't read it right. I know Batrider and Bakraid have bomb invincibilty. I'm saying that Garegga not having it confused me enough to get me killed a few times.
and geez, it was 4 credits. it's not like it was freaking 20 or something.

[Twiddle]

Think of how much less boring Bakraid would be if you were to understand how to drag a x64 for half a stage

Same thought process used to get points out of Batrider and Garegga, only much less forgiving.

*Please note that we do not take setting/graphics/# of "unique" weapon systems as valid praises or criticisms of a game

There's a difference between playing for fun and for bragging rights, thank you. that's probably where you keep seeming to wonder how it is I find the game to be shit.

In a genre that became designed around scoring mechanics, where less of an emphasis is made towards looking pretty, having pretty explosions and having a million ships; and more of an emphasis is on giving the players ever-increasing amounts of things to keep track of hoping the stress will kick him out of their credits (this being done to keep said players amused), "playing for fun" is obviously intended to be showing these games who's the real boss.

If you want an interactive storybook or movie, there are thousands of other games that are just that. Games intended for arcades, inwhich the games have little or no obligation at all to satisfy you superficially or keep you beyond five minutes, you should probably not have to bother with.

And aside from that, I'm used to Bakraid and Batrider's gameplay. I kept thinking an aura was gonna show up at the first, and the bomb attacks not making the ship invincible was a little tedious. that was what took 2 of those credits. the other 1 or 2 was carelessness.

In Garegga, you have to be a lot smarter in the survival department than the other two, included but not limited to actually dodging and manipulating/leading fire away from certain areas where it would put you at a serious disadvantage if enemy fire was there.

[Icarus]

That is exactly what I said. you obviously didn't read it right. I know Batrider and Bakraid have bomb invincibilty. I'm saying that Garegga not having it confused me enough to get me killed a few times.
and geez, it was 4 credits. it's not like it was freaking 20 or something.

Considering Garegga came out before Batrider and Bakraid, I'm not surprised it has the more archaic, more complex system design than the other two. Besides, Garegga is designed to be a slower-paced, more epic and more involved game - Batrider and Bakraid are faster paced because of their length and inherent gameplay systems.

4 credits. 20 credits. Its all the same when you're a cred-feeder.

[Rob]

Surely this speaks for itself (Mushihimesama ultra mode):

Nasty game design.

[captain ahar]

and geez, it was 4 credits. it's not like it was freaking 20 or something.

when you credit feed, you lose.

[Rob]

It doesn't really matter that he credit feeds. Disgusting, yes... but, he has the mistaken idea that if he just practices for "a few days" he can tighten that up to 1 credit. Keeping rank low by repeatedly dying + all of the extra bombs and you can bomb your way through every boss and sleep through the stages. It means nothing.

[Gungriffon Geona]

Think of how much less boring Bakraid would be if you were to understand how to drag a x64 for half a stage

Same thought process used to get points out of Batrider and Garegga, only much less forgiving.

*Please note that we do not take setting/graphics/# of "unique" weapon systems as valid praises or criticisms of a game

There's a difference between playing for fun and for bragging rights, thank you. that's probably where you keep seeming to wonder how it is I find the game to be shit.

In a genre that became designed around scoring mechanics, where less of an emphasis is made towards looking pretty, having pretty explosions and having a million ships; and more of an emphasis is on giving the players ever-increasing amounts of things to keep track of hoping the stress will kick him out of their credits (this being done to keep said players amused), "playing for fun" is obviously intended to be showing these games who's the real boss.

If you want an interactive storybook or movie, there are thousands of other games that are just that. Games intended for arcades, inwhich the games have little or no obligation at all to satisfy you superficially or keep you beyond five minutes, you should probably not have to bother with.

And aside from that, I'm used to Bakraid and Batrider's gameplay. I kept thinking an aura was gonna show up at the first, and the bomb attacks not making the ship invincible was a little tedious. that was what took 2 of those credits. the other 1 or 2 was carelessness.

Bombs make your ship invincible in Batrider. Maybe you mean Garegga, where you have to be a lot smarter in the survival department than the other two, included but not limited to actually dodging and manipulating/leading fire away from certain areas.

you act like I haven't been playing this genre since I was 7. I like it, I just what it's devolved into: abstract art attacking abstract art and MAYBE actual ships are involved. Or something even remotely interesting to look at being tossed aside to say "hay lewk! we good 4 tourny lol!"
I have fun playing a game over and over again just see how long I can go without dying. Score means nothing to me. I restart most games if I screw up, but in the case of Garegga I wanted to see what the fuss was about, in which I didn't get why it's considered so great.
This "animated storybook" thing doesn't even figure into it either. If I wanted that entirely I would've hated CRS 68K with a passion. your argument in that regard is void.

Look, I like different games for different reasons. quit being a baby just because I don't like the games that you like.