Easier no-continues

[captpain]

I've cleared/looped DDP, but not DP (only for lack of discipline, because I know I can do it), and I can say that DDP is harder, even in the later stages. DP allows you to benefit a lot more from memorization, and while DDP allows you some advantage from memorization, it's a lot harder to execute. The 5th and 6th stages of DDP are flat-out tricky.

[toaplan_shmupfan]

Try playing an older shmup. I'd recommend Truxton from Toaplan, or either Raiden or Raiden II from Seibukaihatsu. Of those three, Truxton is the one that ramps up its shot speeds the fastest, so that even though the shot patterns are usually spread fire patterns the firing rate can seem almost manic.

Rationale: the shot patterns are more discernable/less manic at the starting levels of the game but more importantly, the hitbox is the entire ship/plane so this forces actual dodging rather than grazing of enemy bullet patterns. (I find that being able to dodge helps even in later manic games where the hitbox is reduced, while relying on grazing bullets makes older/conventional shmups a lot harder when going back to that larger hitbox.)

[louisg]

I think throwing one or two continues in is a good way to get better at a game fast. Or it is for me, because I find it more encouraging. Then, once I'm reasonably good, I play on one credit.

[Twiddle]

Just remember there's no shame in credit-feeding for practice

[louisg]

I actually tried Dave's Psikyo suggestion this morning, and it really might be a better way to practice those: woke up and 1cc'd Strikers II on child difficulty It's good because you see all the various bullet patterns.. sometimes on 'normal' the patterns are a bit harder to understand at first.

[toaplan_shmupfan]

Just be careful with finishing on the easier difficulty levels for some games because I think Strikers 1945 PSOne and also Raiden III PS2 don't just use simplified patterns that are easier to see but they also make some of the bullets shootable on the easier levels when they are not shootable on the harder difficulty levels. (Because of that, becoming dependent on being able to shoot those bullets still makes for a harder game when those bullets are not shootable.)