# of hours until 1cc Ikaruga

freddiebamboo · Post by **freddiebamboo** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:33 pm

Good to see you back ktown

Kyper · Post by **Kyper** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:38 pm

I just started a few days ago, XBLA of course. 6 hours in according to the game timer, and I can make it to level 3 with just over 3m. I can get an A on level 1, almost always screwing up the zigzag chain thingy and not being able to get to the proper position for the slaloming enemies. On level 2, I totally screw up the planes, the enemies before the boxes and then everything after the boxes. And I don't have a strong grasp of any major areas on level 3.

ktownhero · Post by **ktownhero** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 4:03 am

jpj wrote:glad to know you're still playing it ktown. it's great to see a whole bunch of people pick this up who otherwise may not have ever heard of it. our part-timer got the demo the other day, and really liked it. in fact i think he's probably bought it since i last saw him. i brought in the dc version and played it in the office, 19m with a stock dreamcast pad. i've still got it!

ktownhero wrote:Guess I just gotta keep playing, and playing, and playing and playing
yep!

ktownhero wrote: ... maybe one day I'll get that 1cc!!!
definitely

Thanks for the encouragement, it blows me away that you can just pick up the game and get something like 19mil when you are rusty and playing on a crappy controller

I def hope to be there one day.

I finally got my S on chapter one today -- I did it by squeezing out an extra few chains on the slalom popcorn dudes before the cruisers, I can only get about 4 chains out of them or else I risk dying, but it was enough to push me over the needed 3mil. It felt damn good, especially after doing it a few more times

Of course, I choked unbelievably after that... but hey, I guess that happens.

I REALLY need to work on CH3, I absolutely suck at Shigi... He kills me every time. I can chain the beginning of 3-2 half decently but it falls apart on the section with all of the jets coming from the top and bottom (easy to survive, but I don't know the pattern for chaining yet). My understanding of how to chain 3-1 is still in complete infancy, but I'm starting to get comfortable enough maneuvering/surviving that the possibilities are starting to appear to me.

Thanks for the welcome back Freddie -- I was just lurking occasionally for a while, but I got my voice back.

Bigsasquatch · Post by **Bigsasquatch** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 12:29 pm

my time begins this Saturday when the GD-Rom finds a permanent home inmy Tated AWSD Cab....

BIG S

Kiken · Post by **Kiken** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 2:45 pm

ktownhero wrote:I REALLY need to work on CH3, I absolutely suck at Shigi... He kills me every time. I can chain the beginning of 3-2 half decently but it falls apart on the section with all of the jets coming from the top and bottom (easy to survive, but I don't know the pattern for chaining yet). My understanding of how to chain 3-1 is still in complete infancy, but I'm starting to get comfortable enough maneuvering/surviving that the possibilities are starting to appear to me.

Chapter 3 is easily the most difficult stage in the game. Everything after the telop is done at high-speed, and many of the elements are randomly placed.

The closed in section with isuka coming from above and below in 3-2-3-2 repeating formations (white from above, black from below) can be easily handled if you line up between the craft. Then you can easily move straight up and down, tagging the enemies with the single shots.

ktownhero · Post by **ktownhero** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 4:08 pm

Kiken wrote:
ktownhero wrote:I REALLY need to work on CH3, I absolutely suck at Shigi... He kills me every time. I can chain the beginning of 3-2 half decently but it falls apart on the section with all of the jets coming from the top and bottom (easy to survive, but I don't know the pattern for chaining yet). My understanding of how to chain 3-1 is still in complete infancy, but I'm starting to get comfortable enough maneuvering/surviving that the possibilities are starting to appear to me.
Chapter 3 is easily the most difficult stage in the game. Everything after the telop is done at high-speed, and many of the elements are randomly placed.

The closed in section with isuka coming from above and below in 3-2-3-2 repeating formations (white from above, black from below) can be easily handled if you line up between the craft. Then you can easily move straight up and down, tagging the enemies with the single shots.

Ah, thanks. Yes, I have done that section like that before but it feels like I'm wasting a lot of possible extra chains, but I guess that's one of those sections where you gotta find your balance between keeping your chain and risking losing it or even worse dying.

ktownhero · Post by **ktownhero** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 4:18 pm

I think the #1 advice that every noob should read/hear about this game is DO NOT WATCH SUPER PLAYS right away. Seriously, they will give you some good ideas, but they will also mess you up immensely as you try to do stuff that is WAY out of your league.

Now that it's on live I'd say get comfortable with the game then maybe start downloading some of the videos of the bottom of the top 100. People that are really good, but play as if they are still human. You'll learn more from them than these super play guys until you have hundreds of hours into the game.

Kiken · Post by **Kiken** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 4:45 pm

ktownhero wrote:I think the #1 advice that every noob should read/hear about this game is DO NOT WATCH SUPER PLAYS right away. Seriously, they will give you some good ideas, but they will also mess you up immensely as you try to do stuff that is WAY out of your league.

Now that it's on live I'd say get comfortable with the game then maybe start downloading some of the videos of the bottom of the top 100. People that are really good, but play as if they are still human. You'll learn more from them than these super play guys until you have hundreds of hours into the game.

Well, this is perhaps one of the better things that can be said about the GC version. Seeing as it offered several different skill levels of replay videos, running from basic introductory to more advanced tactics.

jpj · Post by **jpj** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 5:14 pm

i learned my chaining routes watching your replays, kiken <3

ktownhero · Post by **ktownhero** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 1:42 pm

I guess I'm gonna kinda use this thread as a diary like that other guy did -- it's nice to be able to see my progress.

Last night:

Overall 6.9mil
Chapter 1: S (92ch)
Chapter 2: A (74ch)
Chapter 3: Died on Shigi, again -- although this time I was close to finishing him. I had his four satellites down, and then I was too pumped up and died trying to weave his bullets.

By the time I can consistently complete ch 3, I should have most of the level chained, which will bring me into the 8-10 mil range and that extra extend. IIRC, chapters 4 and 5 are easier to survive than 3, just harder to chain. That 1cc is getting close!

jpj · Post by **jpj** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 5:15 pm

stage 4 is pretty tough. and goodluck!

DefaultGen · Post by **DefaultGen** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:15 pm

ktownhero wrote:I think the #1 advice that every noob should read/hear about this game is DO NOT WATCH SUPER PLAYS right away. Seriously, they will give you some good ideas, but they will also mess you up immensely as you try to do stuff that is WAY out of your league.

Hehe, i'm trying some stuff I find in videos down the leaderboards on XBLA. I know that I wouldn't be able to do anything the top players could. Bad replays FTW.

ktownhero · Post by **ktownhero** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 3:59 pm

Not much progress made recently... I hardly played the latter half of last week and this weekend due to the nice weather. I started working on chaining 3-1 yesterday, but had to stop because my forearms hurt too bad from rock climbing lol.

elfhentaifan · Post by **elfhentaifan** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 4:28 pm

i actually played some ikaruga today, after a long time.
To be true, I enjoyed it and was pretty surprised that my memories are coming back slowly.

Etrian · Post by **Etrian** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 4:51 pm

KindGrind wrote:Played it for 50 hours+, no 1CC. The only real tricky parts for me are lvl 3 midboss (for obcsure reasons) and chaining+surviving 4-2. Terrible.

I was stuck on that boss for awhile, for no real reason. I can't chain it.. but I can kill it consistently now.

I just spent the past hour playing this on my monitor, 1 foot from the screen and set to Dynamic. Maybe that wasn't such a healthy idea, but aaaaargh I really want to get 3-1 memorized. I've already given up on 2-1.

Those slalem guys no longer seem an issue for me like they were all those years ago.. but I still can't seem to do the small floating things between the trains on Chapter 1. I usually try to avoid them and just take out the trains, hitting a max chain of 70 or so. It works, so I'm not complaining.

Still haven't found a way of beating Shigi consistently though.

landshark · Post by **landshark** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 6:16 pm

After about a week or so of playing (when did this come out for xbl?), I can get to the 3rd boss with about 4.8 million. My best so far for level 1 is 2.8 million, and I'm starting to get the hang of level 2 where I can regularly get over 2mil - but the beginning of level 2 is just uncomboable for me.