Which is better 2D shooter, Dimahoo or Mars Matrix

[Illyrian]

Dimahoo has an awesome soundtrack and I bloody love the way before the bosses the announcer says:

WORRY! WORRY! BE CAREFUL!

or

WORRY! WORRY! HERE COMES...THE SOMEONE!

friggin' awesome. The game is too hard though.

[Psikyo_Ball]

I think Great mahou daisakusen is better than mars matrix. But it is hard

[Kaiser]

You need to approach Dimahoo more like Garegga, and develop a rank strategy first before trying to score. I made it to Stage 6 in one credit and am generally a middle of the road skilled player (according to STGT standings), so you shouldn't have that much trouble clearing it.

Maybe Kaiser will take up the challenge like he did Bakraid Advanced.

Right now? It's out of question Dave, school's starting and SINCE this is the final year, it's gonna kick my ass and basically prevent me from mastering Dimahoo or any other arcade game, I would say I won't bother until July 2012 because school will be 100% over by then. Sorry to dissapoint you in advance but this is how life is, so I do not deny that I will do this in the close future.

[CIT]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought Dimahoo had no rank at all, like the other Mahous and Brave Blade.

[Illyrian]

The rank system has to do with the items you collect while using your charge shot.

If you collect every item available from using your charge shot at levels 1-3 (i think) your rank increases 1 time.
The same applies for items collected while using charge shot levels 4-6 and 7-8 (i think).

Basically the more items you collect the higher the chance of rank increase.

[Bananamatic]

isn't it basically more sets=more rank?

[Illyrian]

Yeah and what level your charge shot is at determines which set you get.

[Aliquantic]

Yeah and what level your charge shot is at determines which set you get.

No, the set you get items from depends on the specific enemy, and the charge shot level sets the item level. So scoring well in that game means remembering what items all enemies drop, which is... a little tricky to say the least.

[Bananamatic]

Yeah and what level your charge shot is at determines which set you get.

No, the set you get items from depends on the specific enemy, and the charge shot level sets the item level. So scoring well in that game means remembering what items all enemies drop, which is... a little tricky to say the least.

That's the easy part

the worse things are:
1) the only on-screen item inventory is hard to access
2) the charge gauge is small and at the very bottom of the screen so timing under lv8 charges will lead to many deaths
3) it's really, really hard to manipulate item levels mid-charge attack as the gauge drops fast

the scoring would be much better if they removed the entire damned set completion and made everything x1 instead

[Maikeru_Rocks]

Just beat Mars Matrix finally, now that game was freaking hard but it does have the best scoring system of any shmup:)
How come developer Takumi are not making any more shoot'em ups, they been quiet for a long time:(

[Randorama]

isn't it basically more sets=more rank?

Main shot (not charge shot) influences rank as well, but not too much.

Rank increases by the AMOUNT OF ITEMS collected. So, if one gets a lots of items and no complete set, rank will be harsh and scores low. Moral of the story: if you go for the items, do it properly.

...Dimahoo's not too difficult if one forsakes scoring entirely, and does not max out the main shot. The last boss sequence becomes acceptably difficult, GigaFace needs three-four bombs in stock (and, say, 1-2 lives). Anything beyond that is really, really a nightmare.
In case someone wants to land a 1-CC without getting gray hair.

[Bananamatic]

I did some tests with rank before and from the results I figured out that specials and full sets increase rank by a lot, while separate items don't or by very little.

Where did you get those theories anyways? When I made a thread in Strategy, I got pretty much zero input.

[Rob]

How come developer Takumi are not making any more shoot'em ups, they been quiet for a long time:(

The quality of their stuff clearly dropped (Night Raid, GWG) after the Capcom partnership ended. I like GWG, but it definitely doesn't feel as polished as the first two games and I doubt it was as popular (did it have character art?). I think it was all portable fishing games after that. They're finished, no doubt. Couldn't find their site a while back.

[BulletMagnet]

I like GWG, but it definitely doesn't feel as polished as the first two games and I doubt it was as popular (did it have character art?).

In some ways I still say Generations was the best of the three (too bad it got such a shoddy home port) - not as many graphical frills as the first two, but the shooting and reflecting are at least as well-implemented as in the first two (medals aren't as pretty, but at least they don't clog up the screen as much as they used to).

[Rob]

I liked levels 1, 2 and 5 a lot. 3 & 4 feel sloppy and the last boss is really lame.

[Maikeru_Rocks]

What a shame that Dimahoo never got a home port, it if was announced the Dreamcast would have been the perfect console to handle a arcade perfect port don't ya'll think.

[Kollision]

If Dimahoo was to be released it would sink like a barreal of lead.
It's too raw to be commercially appreciated.

[Randorama]

I did some tests with rank before and from the results I figured out that specials and full sets increase rank by a lot, while separate items don't or by very little.

Where did you get those theories anyways? When I made a thread in Strategy, I got pretty much zero input.

Many moons ago I played the game a lot. I settled for a dirty 1-cc, out of frustration with the scoring system (I did have runs in 20 M range, though). After reading your link, I'd say that you and Ruldra have a more accurate analysis of the rank, so my info can be set aside.

EDIT:

If Dimahoo was to be released it would sink like a barreal of lead.
It's too raw to be commercially appreciated.

I heard that the title went well for a while when it was released, then only the hardcore players kept playing it (a bit like Ketsui). Personally, I found it very rigid, when played for score. Btw: do you guys have the link to the Sheep's site on Dimahoo?

[man9child]

http://www.world-of-arcades.net/R8zing/ ... imahoo.htm

[dunpeal2064]

It basically goes like this: Mars Matrix - best scoring system. Dimahoo - worst scoring system (all-time). It's a neat bonus if a game has a nice soundtrack, but it really doesn't matter.

Even worse than Guwange?

I actually didn't click with MM the last time I played it. I think I was under the impression that I should be full-chaining stages off the bat, like Dodonpachi. Made my face turn beat red

[louisg]

Mars Matrix = Free-form scoring bliss
Dimahoo = Survival level design awesomeness

[burgerkingdiamond]

I'm a pretty smart person, but there are a bunch of shmups that I just can't figure out how to play. Espgaluda II and Mars Matrix are two offenders. And I've tried reading strategies too.. Futari Original is the only one that I've really "got".

[dunpeal2064]

I'm a pretty smart person, but there are a bunch of shmups that I just can't figure out how to play. Espgaluda II and Mars Matrix are two offenders. And I've tried reading strategies too.. Futari Original is the only one that I've really "got".

Heh, those are the only 2 shmups I have tried so far that I just did not feel like I was getting. Espgaluda 2 was just so complex (scoring-wise) that I just didn't feel like I was doing anything right. If good players are getting both extends on the first stage, and I can't get even one, then someting is wrong.

[burgerkingdiamond]

I'm a pretty smart person, but there are a bunch of shmups that I just can't figure out how to play. Espgaluda II and Mars Matrix are two offenders. And I've tried reading strategies too.. Futari Original is the only one that I've really "got".

Heh, those are the only 2 shmups I have tried so far that I just did not feel like I was getting. Espgaluda 2 was just so complex (scoring-wise) that I just didn't feel like I was doing anything right. If good players are getting both extends on the first stage, and I can't get even one, then someting is wrong.

We need to find bullet hell personal trainers.

[Kollision]

I'm a pretty smart person, but there are a bunch of shmups that I just can't figure out how to play.

I'm having a hard time myself with Chaos Field !!

[stryc9]

I'm a pretty smart person, but there are a bunch of shmups that I just can't figure out how to play.

I'm having a hard time myself with Chaos Field !!

The balancing is pretty uneven in Chaos Field, and the difficulty spikes nastily after the 2nd boss.
Come to think of it, the second level itself is awful with that spinning metal sphere with all the turrets on it. They always seem to end up behind me shooting me in the ass. Anything beyond that is rock hard.
Don't get me wrong, I live and breath difficult shooters, but Chaos Field is a bit broken in that regard IMO.
Pity, cos the actual gameplay is alright

By the time Radilgy dropped, I think Milestone had got the difficulty curve thing figured out a lot better.

[MathU]

I love Chaos Field. You guys are crazy. There's nothing wrong with stage 2. In fact, it's one of my favorite stages. The opening miniboss is really creative.

The only "balance" issue Chaos Field has is that the game was clearly designed solely around playing with Hal. I really wish I could figure out how the world record score is so much higher with Ifumi. It's gotta be taking advantage of some sort of exploit. It's just gotta.

[Kollision]

The thing is I still haven't decided how to map my buttons on the DC controller for Chaos Field.
The last configuration I had (after lots of attempts) was main shot in A, sword in X, lock-on in B, wing-layer in R and mode switch in L.
I still get the buttons wrong in the heat of the chain and lose lives stupidly.
And chaos field after the mid-boss in stage 2? Can't see myself doing that anytime soon... but i'm trying!

ON TOPIC: Mars Matrix all the way!

[stryc9]

Thats another thing. I'm playing New Order, is the Dreamcast original easier or harder than this?
Doesn't New Order have some stage enemies as well? I also thought when playing the Wii versions thru Milestone SC2 their was less slowdown in Chaos Field, but more bullets in patterns fom New Order?

I haven't played Mars Matrix in years, since I was forced to use a PAL dreamcast when my NTSCU console turned into a smoke machine when I plugged it in drunk to 240v instead of 110. The PAL machine, dissapointingly, crops some games in SNES SF2 style borders on the top and bottom of the display.
It's pretty shit. (My situation that is, MM is awesome).

[MathU]

The arcade mode in Expanded and New Order is the same as the Dreamcast version. However, the DC version is probably the easiest because of all the slowdown. Expanded doesn't have any slowdown at all, dunno about New Order. Haven't checked in a while, but I believe the Shooting Collection version only has slowdown when you use your lock-on weapon.