Just got Deathsmiles for the 360!!!....

[Thjodbjorn]

Certain levels of shmup take time to click. One day your skills will be so sharp you'll crave something harder, a bit like people who listen to progressively heavier metal until only the death variety will do.
When the day comes that you're actually willing the game to push you harder, almost urging it to pump even more bullets down the screen, Dodonpachi DOJ and Espgaluda II will be waiting for you, and that's when the fun really starts.

The ones that set out to punish you are the ones you'll love most once you conquer them.

That's the feeling I'm getting from Espgaluda II right now. It just isn't clicking for me, and I have enough trouble as it is just staying alive. I look forward to the day when I have the spare brainpower to be able to really start to understand internally how it works

[Skykid]

Certain levels of shmup take time to click. One day your skills will be so sharp you'll crave something harder, a bit like people who listen to progressively heavier metal until only the death variety will do.
When the day comes that you're actually willing the game to push you harder, almost urging it to pump even more bullets down the screen, Dodonpachi DOJ and Espgaluda II will be waiting for you, and that's when the fun really starts.

The ones that set out to punish you are the ones you'll love most once you conquer them.

That's the feeling I'm getting from Espgaluda II right now. It just isn't clicking for me, and I have enough trouble as it is just staying alive. I look forward to the day when I have the spare brainpower to be able to really start to understand internally how it works

It's not how the game works, but how you work the game.

You'll understand my babbling when you get there, look forward to that day.

[xris]

^this
I remember a couple of years ago, wondering what it would be like to play a more complex version of Shikigami. Be careful what you ask for, you might get it. Yeah, I know. There's vast differences between the two game's systems, but it's a generalized idea. I myself am looking forward to the years that can be put into ESPGALUDA II BL. Risk vs reward that is only topped by trying to pick up women that may be out of your league.

[njiska]

Certain levels of shmup take time to click. One day your skills will be so sharp you'll crave something harder, a bit like people who listen to progressively heavier metal until only the death variety will do.
When the day comes that you're actually willing the game to push you harder, almost urging it to pump even more bullets down the screen, Dodonpachi DOJ and Espgaluda II will be waiting for you, and that's when the fun really starts.

The ones that set out to punish you are the ones you'll love most once you conquer them.

I love how you keep making the assumption that the issue is my skills, despite the fact that I like hard bullet patterns. Frankly I could have the best skills in the world and I still don't believe I'd like EspII as I really do not care for the scoring system and I don't like the way it's mechanics work. It's just not my kind of game.

DOJ on the other hand is my kind of game and I play it regularly. I may not be the best at it, but I enjoy striving to do better in it because the mechanics appeal to me. It's this appeal that EspII is missing.

[apple arcade]

Well ESP2, BL, Arrange, and Omake all have different scoring systems, there is bound to be one you enjoy.


<3 DOJ

[Skykid]

Risk vs reward that is only topped by trying to pick up women that may be out of your league.

It's all chaining to me.

I love how you keep making the assumption that the issue is my skills, despite the fact that I like hard bullet patterns. Frankly I could have the best skills in the world and I still don't believe I'd like EspII as I really do not care for the scoring system and I don't like the way it's mechanics work. It's just not my kind of game.

DOJ on the other hand is my kind of game and I play it regularly. I may not be the best at it, but I enjoy striving to do better in it because the mechanics appeal to me. It's this appeal that EspII is missing.

Yo sorry man, that was indeed my assumption but I hope you'll forgive me for arriving at it, we're in a Deathsmiles appreciation thread after all.
If you like DOJ you've got balls, that's for sure. Don't know why anyone who likes shmups would dislike Galuda II tho - I would imagine a game of such awesomeness would appeal to anyone who'd properly got to grips with its nuances.

[njiska]

Yo sorry man, that was indeed my assumption but I hope you'll forgive me for arriving at it, we're in a Deathsmiles appreciation thread after all.
If you like DOJ you've got balls, that's for sure. Don't know why anyone who likes shmups would dislike Galuda II tho - I would imagine a game of such awesomeness would appeal to anyone who'd properly got to grips with its nuances.

It's all about personal preferences. It's nuances turn me off. But I look at it like Guwange. Some people are turned off by the Shikigami and game long chains. I happen to like it.

[jonny5]

get a room girlz!

and dave, isnt this thread like 10 years early?

[chempop]

Be careful Dave, Deathsmiles prompted a solid straight year of shmup addiction for me. Enjoy it though, once you get Futari and Galuda 2 you might as well say goodbye to friends and family.

[Deca]

Certain levels of shmup take time to click. One day your skills will be so sharp you'll crave something harder, a bit like people who listen to progressively heavier metal until only the death variety will do.
When the day comes that you're actually willing the game to push you harder, almost urging it to pump even more bullets down the screen, Dodonpachi DOJ and Espgaluda II will be waiting for you, and that's when the fun really starts.

The ones that set out to punish you are the ones you'll love most once you conquer them.

I love how you keep making the assumption that the issue is my skills, despite the fact that I like hard bullet patterns. Frankly I could have the best skills in the world and I still don't believe I'd like EspII as I really do not care for the scoring system and I don't like the way it's mechanics work. It's just not my kind of game.

DOJ on the other hand is my kind of game and I play it regularly. I may not be the best at it, but I enjoy striving to do better in it because the mechanics appeal to me. It's this appeal that EspII is missing.

I gotta say I feel the exact opposite. Sure I like DOJs aesthetic and overall presentation MUCH better, but when I started to see just how the scoring system really worked in Galuda2 I was obsessed. I had no trouble deciding to buy Futari first, as ESP.ra.de had left a very very very bad taste in my mouth, bad enough that I wasn't really interested in Galuda at all. Right after getting Futari I got my hands on a friends copy of Galuda2 on iPad, and ended up buying the 360 port a week or so later.

It's definitely a really complicated system to get into, but once you figure it out it makes you feel amazing. Sure it feels great to full combo a stage in a DDP game, but once you figure out Galuda2s mechanics you'll be getting that feeling several times a stage.

I definitely loved DDP when I was first getting into the genre, but anymore they don't really do a ton for me really.

I suppose I should at least post a bit on topic. When DS was announced as the first US Cave release I was a bit disappointed. I was definitely ecstatic just to have a Cave game coming out in the US, but after Progear I didn't really have high hopes for a Cave horzie. I did get into it a bit once I got the game, and it ended up being my first Cave 1cc, but the whole time I was kind of wishing it had been Ketsui. After getting my copies of Futari and Galuda2 and playing the hell out of them...I'm actually finding myself wanting to go back and play some more Death Smiles :p

[spadgy]

Certain levels of shmup take time to click. One day your skills will be so sharp you'll crave something harder, a bit like people who listen to progressively heavier metal until only the death variety will do.

That's a really nice parallel; I'd never thought of it that way, but that process is certainly happening with me in both cases.

I long ago hit the grindcore and gabba level with music, but it was a gradual progression of longing for something constantly heavier.

With shooters I have noticed (especially in the last two or three months, when the DDP and DP 1CC's came my way) a increasing longing for something tougher. I'm considering tackling goals that a year or so ago I thought would never be in my grasp. I'm still a mediocre player really, and have a long way to go, but for the first time I'm noticing my ability ramp up a with a little more ferocity across the genre.

That amplified craving you talk about is a fantastic reality, even if it takes years to really show itself.

[Skykid]

Certain levels of shmup take time to click. One day your skills will be so sharp you'll crave something harder, a bit like people who listen to progressively heavier metal until only the death variety will do.

That's a really nice parallel; I'd never thought of it that way, but that process is certainly happening with me in both cases.

I long ago hit the grindcore and gabba level with music, but it was a gradual progression of longing for something constantly heavier.

With shooters I have noticed (especially in the last two or three months, when the DDP and DP 1CC's came my way) a increasing longing for something tougher. I'm considering tackling goals that a year or so ago I thought would never be in my grasp. I'm still a mediocre player really, and have a long way to go, but for the first time I'm noticing my ability ramp up a with a little more ferocity across the genre.

That amplified craving you talk about is a fantastic reality, even if it takes years to really show itself.

I do believe our ascent (or is that descent) into frenzied shmupping has been at parallels the whole time.

Nice on the Donpachi 1cc, I haven't got around to giving that game enough time yet.

[dave4shmups]

ESPGALUDA II and Mushihimesama Futari (affiliate links) are both region free and awesome games. ESP II's original mode is fairly hard but it has several other modes with different scoring sytems so you're bound to find you like. Futari is all around awesome.

In addition, you can track down north american compies of Raiden Fighters Aces (awesome) and Raiden IV (not so awesome in my opinion)

I'm stuck like you, no mean to play XBLA at the moment, I would deff grab Ikaruga and Triggerheart Exelica if I could though.

I LOVE Raiden Fighters Aces, but Raiden IV departs too much from the older Raiden games. IMO, it's bullet-hell and it gives you a default ship that is WAY too slow to cope with all the bullets. There is one other fighter in Raiden IV, but you have to download the damned thing from XBL. Unless that one extra fighter radically improves your movement in the game, I don't care for Raiden IV.

[PsychoGun]

ESPGALUDA II and Mushihimesama Futari (affiliate links) are both region free and awesome games. ESP II's original mode is fairly hard but it has several other modes with different scoring sytems so you're bound to find you like. Futari is all around awesome.

In addition, you can track down north american compies of Raiden Fighters Aces (awesome) and Raiden IV (not so awesome in my opinion)

I'm stuck like you, no mean to play XBLA at the moment, I would deff grab Ikaruga and Triggerheart Exelica if I could though.

I LOVE Raiden Fighters Aces, but Raiden IV departs too much from the older Raiden games. IMO, it's bullet-hell and it gives you a default ship that is WAY too slow to cope with all the bullets. There is one other fighter in Raiden IV, but you have to download the damned thing from XBL. Unless that one extra fighter radically improves your movement in the game, I don't care for Raiden IV.

I tried really hard to like Raiden IV, and put in serious time to it. But it just isn't a good game in the end. Might as well stick with RFAs.

[dave4shmups]

So, is Otomedius G region-free??

[Elixir]

So, is Otomedius G region-free??

No.

[dave4shmups]

So, is Otomedius G region-free??

No.

That sucks, looks like a great shmup.

[mdsfx]

So, is Otomedius G region-free??

No.

That sucks, looks like a great shmup.

What about Otomedius Excellent? That's coming to the US...

[Skykid]

So, is Otomedius G region-free??

No.

That sucks, looks like a great shmup.

It's not, breathe easy.

[PsychoGun]

No one's played Otomedius X. G was an arcade port of Otomedius with G mode added for beginners, X looks more like a console-ized sequel to G than a sequel to the current Otomedius franchise.

If you don't like G then you probably won't like X.

It's safe to assume the people bitching about G sucking probably suck at it or aren't playing it the right way.

If you own a J360 then G is entirely worth owning, I've put a ton of time into it and felt completely satisfied about the platinum hits price I paid. I played it a hell of a lot more than Mamorukun.

[Thjodbjorn]

I bought Deathsmiles for my friend's five year-old daughter, and she loves it. We've played a couple of times together before, and now she has it for herself.

[evil_ash_xero]

I bought Deathsmiles for my friend's five year-old daughter, and she loves it. We've played a couple of times together before, and now she has it for herself.

If she starts now, she may end up a shmup maniac by the time she's in her teens!

Well, she'll probably just discover boys and toss the controller aside.

[Thjodbjorn]

I dunno... I managed to not abandon gamimg when I discovered girls.

But her mom is big into Jrpgs, which she's too young for (all the reading and stuff). So I'm hoping to influence her and get her shmupping.

I think the hori style is a little easier for her to understand, as Espgaluda novice was a little trickier for her. But she did okay on the iPhone version... so who knows.

[evil_ash_xero]

I dunno... I managed to not abandon gamimg when I discovered girls.

Girls are worse about abandoning everything, when they find the opposite sex.

But if not, awesome.