Shmup Ticker: What are you playing RIGHT NOW?

[Siren2011]

I just 1CC'ed Eden's Aegis. It's basically a grand-scale version of Esprade's scoring system mixed with Mushihimesama's bullet patterns. I definitely enjoyed this one more than Crimson Clover, even though it looks like shit in comparison. Basically the whole game features slowdown, with little to no moments of increasing bullet speeds. As a result, it's like playing Espgaluda in permanent Kakusei mode. It's proof that a game doesn't have to be brutally hard to be enjoyable. Plus it's nice to know what the fuck I am doing, allowing more time think and navigate accordingly.

Bottom line: a great appetizer in between difficult STGs.

[RNGmaster]

The Stella Vanity 0.22 demo. Wow, just wow. Stage 3 boss is a bitch, but otherwise really digging it.

[Drachenherz]

Esp Ra.De.

This game is so awesome! Made it to stage 5 on 1 credit today. And from there on, with 4 more credits, I got to this bitch Garra in her first form, i.e. I defeated the head. I'm still pumped! And I'm getting better each time I can play it on my cab. (unfortunately, my cab is not at home but in the dojo, which is a 20 min drive by car...)

[Matskat]

Ibara....

Playing for score changed the game 100%...

Can barely finish level 1 consistently with a proper score....if i mess up chaining I might as well reboot the cabinet...

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!

[RNGmaster]

Almost 1cc'd the StellaVanity trial - that blue character is really fun to play as. Stupidly went into over at the final pattern of Stage 4, but great play besides that mistake.

[mesh control]

Karous.

Can't wait to play Illevo.

[fishinant]

Guwange. Finally just starting to appreciate it now. Damn fine game.

[Observer]

Playing some Psyvariar 2 on Dreamcast....
I am stating to quite enjoy it now...
In the past i have played it a little and didnt know what the fuss was about...
The bosses are shit heads though...

I think part of its charm comes from the mechs and the jazzy techno punchi punchi music and the brutally awesome explosions.

It's a nice game but I find it really hard to level up for the precious invincibility.

edit: playing a mix of Espgaluda and DOJ Black Label. It's funny how DOJ BL teases you on how good your skills can be if you made it to stage 3 in one piece... and then proceeds to squash your poor ego without pity.

[Aquas]

U.N Squadron Arcade, but I think I'm mostly done with it for now.. just got the 1cc. Need to smack out the Raiden III 1cc but for some reason not feeling a vert right now.

Besides that, a little bit of Side Arms - Hyper Dyne. Capcom shmups are too cool.

[RNGmaster]

Got the ring^-27 demo now that I 1cc'd StellaVanity's trial. Not sure what I think of it. Too many "memorize-or-die" moments IMHO.

[Observer]

Continuing my Crimzon Clover spree. I think I realized what I also love of this game: how most of the enemies emit some pretty notorious firing noises. They go BAM BAM BAM, BOOM BOOM BOOM, BLAM as they start shooting shit. How can you forget of Stage 3 boss spinning machinegun fire right before the spinning laser show? Or the almighty Stage 4 boss and its final attack when it goes batshit crazy if you destroy all four cannons... Or when you get a game over and all enemies on screen still keep firing until the entire screen is covered in firepower, lol.

Ok, I also got frustrated quite a bit with DOJ Black Label and Ketsui. Reached stage 4 in both but I'm not sure I'll ever be able to 1cc them. Not without putting a lot of time I don't have atm.

[Sapz]

Lots of Ketsui. Learned the stage 1 boss trick and managed the second extend by the end-of-stage bonus for stage 2. This is incredibly addictive, but pretty much the most rage-inducing game ever after Futari BL Original.

[shmuppyLove]

Cyvern

I loves me sum dragons

[RNGmaster]

Now I'm back to HELLSINKER. Man, this game really grows on you. Playing as Minogame and trying hard not to abuse the inverted circle (though it can give you at least 1k spirits at the start of Stage 3 Behind).

[Siren2011]

Border Down. I suck so hard at it. I've never been great at these Gradius-type STGs. I like to think of it as this: if you fuck up once, the game cuts off one of your balls. Fuck up twice, it takes the other, THEN it expects you to take on an entire fleet with no balls. What a true mark of a Japanese game.

[durias]

Gradius Rebirth (because that's how Wii roll.)

[RNGmaster]

Kinda tiring of StellaVanity. Scoring is fucking hard in 0.22, though I did manage to get 128m on Stage 3, which is one of my prouder accomplishments. Looking forward more to the next version.

[spadgy]

Akai Katana Arcade Mode - I'm falling in love.

[Aquas]

Side Arms - Hyper Dyne

Shit's so Hyper Dyne, huh Dyne?

Love the soundtrack.

[tinotormed]

Going back to playing Space Megaforce, because I noticed checkpoint milking gives you advantages in scoring.

Expect a high-score run on YouTube soon.

[z0mbie90]

Been playing some Raiden III, pretty fun, not a bad game but it don't feel like Raiden.

[Siren2011]

Psyvariar 2. I fucking love it. At certain areas the game forces the player to utilize the shield and utilize it well if he wants to survive. It's like pushing your stubborn child into the pool. Only then will he learn to swim. Similarly, the third stage overwhelms you with bullets that specialize in psyching the player out, giving you no other option but to surf them with a scrape against the outer part of your hitbox to activate your shield consecutively.

Oh and the fourth stage boss is incredible. I can't articulate how I feel about it any other way, so I'll leave it at that.

[soupbones]

Strania - both sides are beating the shit out of me.

Trouble Witches Neo - fun game... Reminds me of fantasy zone.

Bullet Soul - love this game.

Eschatos - didn't take at first, but now I'm addicted to it.

Viewpoint - went back to this today after a hiatus. 3rd level gives me so much grief.

[Never_Scurred]

Playing DDP: Daifukkatsu 1.5 mode on Hard for survival.

Taking a break from my Mushi Futari 1.01 1CC project.

[RNGmaster]

Scratch what I said about StellaVanity - this game is damn fun to score-attack. Point-blanking sucks, but I guess it's bearable.

[Reverie Planetarian]

R-Type Delta.

[Gerk]

Gradius 3 rev. E

Basically, the whole game put on Beginner's Mode, which makes it a little less impossible than the original version...but still punishing.

[RNGmaster]

Well dayum, looks like I got half the world record for Stella Vanity on normal. I'm pretty impressed with how I did, and I'll be content with a high-scoring run that didn't quite 1cc.

[ratikal]

Might try for a 1CC at Dodonpachi Daioujou Black Label, then maybe I'll try some doujin games. Some of them (Crimzon Clover and Eden's whatever) looks kinda appealing.

[RNGmaster]

Might try for a 1CC at Dodonpachi Daioujou Black Label, then maybe I'll try some doujin games. Some of them (Crimzon Clover and Eden's whatever) looks kinda appealing.

The new StellaVanity trial looks pretty nice. I'd also highly recommend Crimzon Clover, and maybe ring^-27.