Extremely popular shmups you don't "get"

[Skykid]

I still don't 'get' Deathsmiles much. I like the game but don't seem to love it like all the other folks, not for lack of trying either.

The ease of the game (even on rank 3) means that each run is abnormally long for a shmup (where progression usually means 5-10 minute bouts until you begin to reach later stages, DS usually ends up being a full 35 minute go each time), and I find play throughs slightly dull because the scoring system doesn't do a whole lot for me.

If they made Deathsmiles 3 and the entire game was like the Ice Palace (head and shoulders above any other stage in the game) I'd probably absolutely love it.

Do that Cave.

[lilmanjs]

You know you can get rid of the tracking-type medal by making it explode at the end of the very first level (quite easily too, it's really just a matter of knowing where the hidden miclus at the end is). Then the medal chaining is exactly like the first two games for the rest of the game.

sure and where the heck is the hidden miclus? if I knew maybe I might like the game better. still isn't Jet just a remix of the first 2 games?

[MathU]

It's right at the boss. Destroy all the large planes in the stage (except the plane holding the Slave icon) fast for the Quick Shot bonus (this spawns more enemies with medals), and you should have just enough medals to create one giant maxed medal right before the boss. Then just grab the medal and make the miclus appear and stream out smaller medals until they explode.

[Airfare]

not into gradius games the side scrolling shooters with the basic alien battling within a small airship.... to me its just plain and simple but I wouldnt mind the cho aniki or parodius games since the whole idea is creative.....

[Vexorg]

If there's one game that seems to have all sorts of fans around here but that I just can't seem to get into, it's Batrider. It all just seems so random and confusing. And I actually like the other Raizing shooters, I just can't seem to get into this one.

[guigui]

A popular shmup I do not get :

Start : G ... R .. (death)
Start : G ... R . (death)
Start : G ... R ... A ..(extend). D .(death)
Start : G ..(death)
Game Over

[DEL]

guigui wrote;

A popular shmup I do not get :

Start : G ... R .. (death)
Start : G ... R . (death)
Start : G ... R ... A ..(extend). D .(death)
Start : G ..(death)
Game Over

If its G...Y...R (death)
Then you're describing Border Down.
Otherwise, dunno?
I kinda 'get' that game

Games I don't get - Ikaruga, Radiant, Fever SOS, Deathsmiles didn't grab me (like Skykid also said) - I would rather play Side Arms on hard or Forgotten Worlds.
I also don't want to get Guwange's game-long chain or the delicate chaining through following robotic routes of DOJ.
That will upset people, but Hey!

[evil_ash_xero]

I still don't 'get' Deathsmiles much. I like the game but don't seem to love it like all the other folks, not for lack of trying either.

The ease of the game (even on rank 3) means that each run is abnormally long for a shmup (where progression usually means 5-10 minute bouts until you begin to reach later stages, DS usually ends up being a full 35 minute go each time), and I find play throughs slightly dull because the scoring system doesn't do a whole lot for me.

If they made Deathsmiles 3 and the entire game was like the Ice Palace (head and shoulders above any other stage in the game) I'd probably absolutely love it.

Do that Cave.

I really love DeathSmiles, but it does have some problems. My only real gripe, is that even if you go with level 3, the game is pretty easy, until you go to the bonus stages, where the difficulty goes through the roof. So, that makes the earlier stages kind of boring, if you play it too much. The game should be tougher from the beginning and have more of a natural difficulty curve. I still love it though.

[Aliquantic]

How about level 999 on MBL then? It seems to be designed for people who like a tough survival game right from the start, and it's still reasonable if you're not going for a full 999+EX stages run... and MBL is a bit gentler for scoring than regular Deathsmiles (though still pretty technical compared to most other games).

[Chaos Phoenixma]

Level 999 has the problem of certain boss attacks that are pretty much humanly impossible, and therefore even superplays have to bomb them, time power up counter to properly cancel them, or time a power up so you can speedkill the boss before it gets to the dangerous stuff.

[Erppo]

Level 999 has the problem of certain boss attacks that are pretty much humanly impossible, and therefore even superplays have to bomb them, time power up counter to properly cancel them, or time a power up so you can speedkill the boss before it gets to the dangerous stuff.

That doesn't mean anything. The game doesn't really punish you for doing that so of course the superplayers use all means necessary to minimize their risks and avoid having to face the most difficult attacks.

[zaphod]

The issue people have with this is simple.

If a game doesn't reward you for not using bombs at all, then it usually punishes you for using them in the wrong spots, usually by throwing an unavoidable attack your way.

That's one of the cruelest memorizer traps of all time. Throwing something difficult enough to scare you into bombing, and then leaving you without the bomb when you need it most. It has always struck me as a cheap shot. While i have nothing against using a bomb to save my butt or make the battle easier, i also want to believe if I were more skilled I wouldn't need it. And if i put in my quarter to find out that oh I needed to save my bomb for THAT pattern and not use it earlier the hard way, i'd probably stop playing the game. I give home games a bit more leeway in this regard, though i still think it's a cheap shot.

I feel it's wrong to be dead and not know it yet in a shmup. R-Type (i can vouch for the original only) had a very fine balance that stopped just short of this. when memory failed you, human reaction really was good enough to compensate if you were alert, and the game did a good job of steering you away from the spots you might get killed with no warning, or at least providing clues that maybe you shouldn't be sitting there. Some examples.

Hmm, there's a gap in th ceiling on level one after you fly into the structure. some enemies will probably fly out of it.

Hmm, enemies flew on from the top and bottom while i'm going through this barrier at the start of level 4. I probably should keep my distance a bit from the top and bottom edges until I learn where the come out from. Lvel 4 take care to lure you away from the back of the screen before an enemy comes flying out of it too, if you haven't learned the lesson already on level 3.

Hmm, these explosions i'm seeing in level 7 are colored like my charge beam instead of the normal harmless color. they might be deadly.

While foreknowledge helps a lot, the game itself doesn't try to deceive you. That is the hallmark of a good memorizer.

[ave]

Progear - I hate the sfx, high-pitched madness. I also dislike the scoring system, knowing how it works doesn't make it any better. I think it's just not fun to play.

Radiant Silvergun - the game looks so great, but opposite to Ikaruga I yet have to find a way to dive into it. It seems so bulky and slow yet hard and demanding.

Battle Bakraid - I pray to Battle Garegga in my sleep, but I don't think Bakraid is anywhere near the quality of Garegga. Honestly, I think it's a horrible sequel! I don't like anything about it.

Winds of Thunder - While the soundtrack is a masterpiece, the gameplay itself isn't my cup of tea. I tried it several times, but I always end up complaining about my pointless deaths and start playing Gate of Thunder again.