The BIG thread of Shmup grievances.

[DrTrouserPlank]

I second the Deathsmiles suggestion. Rank 1/2 is damn easy, and it's not hard to obtain anymore since it's out in like every region of the world.

In fact I 1CCed the game just a few days ago using Rank 3 4 times and Rank 2 the other times to reach a suicide-bullet-less Castle stage.

Deathsmiles has the most schizophrenic difficulty of any game I have though. The 6 original stages are easy even on rank 3, but the final 2 bosses are bullshit, combine that with a stupidly long final stage and no boss-practice option and you have a recipe for throwing your xbox out the window.

The lack of a proper practice mode is what stopped me seriously trying to finish that game.

[TrevHead (TVR)]

it really isnt that difficult if you play Area b1 & b2 (casper) in rank 2 and rank 3 for A and C, Both C1 & C2 give lots of points for extends with minimal effort, plus there is an hidden extend in area C2.

As you say the game is easy until the last bosses, but you should have enough lives and bombs in stock to cheese your way past most of the bullet patterns. If you cant be bothered praticing the whole of the last stage just watch a video / replay as some of the bosses patterns are easy to dodge if you know how.

[Paradigm]

Deathsmiles has the most schizophrenic difficulty of any game I have though. The 6 original stages are easy even on rank 3, but the final 2 bosses are bullshit, combine that with a stupidly long final stage and no boss-practice option and you have a recipe for throwing your xbox out the window.

The lack of a proper practice mode is what stopped me seriously trying to finish that game.

Once you reach the ballroom section in practice mode, a restart carries you on from there, so you can practice that short section and then the bosses to your heart's content.

Jitterbug isn't hard, especially if you keep your option in his face. Watch one of the top replays for an easy no-bomb strategy which will also net you two extra lives. Failing that, it should take no more than two bombs which should you leave you with plenty in reserve for the final boss.

[AntiFritz]

I second the Deathsmiles suggestion. Rank 1/2 is damn easy, and it's not hard to obtain anymore since it's out in like every region of the world.

In fact I 1CCed the game just a few days ago using Rank 3 4 times and Rank 2 the other times to reach a suicide-bullet-less Castle stage.

Deathsmiles has the most schizophrenic difficulty of any game I have though. The 6 original stages are easy even on rank 3, but the final 2 bosses are bullshit, combine that with a stupidly long final stage and no boss-practice option and you have a recipe for throwing your xbox out the window.

The lack of a proper practice mode is what stopped me seriously trying to finish that game.

I was able todo it before I bought the xbox version, on mame where save states dont work, and the game had less/no slowdown emulated. It really is that easy. Try following the easy 1cc guide on this forum, it gives a good path which gives 2 health pickups. Theirs another route which gives more but it slightly harder.

[Annoyboy]

This one?

[Elixir]

I second the Deathsmiles suggestion. Rank 1/2 is damn easy, and it's not hard to obtain anymore since it's out in like every region of the world.

In fact I 1CCed the game just a few days ago using Rank 3 4 times and Rank 2 the other times to reach a suicide-bullet-less Castle stage.

Deathsmiles has the most schizophrenic difficulty of any game I have though. The 6 original stages are easy even on rank 3, but the final 2 bosses are bullshit, combine that with a stupidly long final stage and no boss-practice option and you have a recipe for throwing your xbox out the window.

The lack of a proper practice mode is what stopped me seriously trying to finish that game.

If the first stages were so easy, then why would EX be difficult when you have lives/bombs per life for the boss? Even some of the top scoring replays I have from various sites bomb on the twin dragons.

[DrTrouserPlank]

I second the Deathsmiles suggestion. Rank 1/2 is damn easy, and it's not hard to obtain anymore since it's out in like every region of the world.

In fact I 1CCed the game just a few days ago using Rank 3 4 times and Rank 2 the other times to reach a suicide-bullet-less Castle stage.

Deathsmiles has the most schizophrenic difficulty of any game I have though. The 6 original stages are easy even on rank 3, but the final 2 bosses are bullshit, combine that with a stupidly long final stage and no boss-practice option and you have a recipe for throwing your xbox out the window.

The lack of a proper practice mode is what stopped me seriously trying to finish that game.

If the first stages were so easy, then why would EX be difficult when you have lives/bombs per life for the boss? Even some of the top scoring replays I have from various sites bomb on the twin dragons.

Because the extra stage and the bosses with their stupid off-the-scale difficulty and fucking suicide bullets ruin the game and make it impossible. The stages are impossible, the bosses are impossible. The final stage with suicide bullets is too hard, the last boss is one of the most stupid things I've ever seen. All the lives and bombs you can carry won't make any difference because you'll get through them pretty quick.

DS is a perfect example of what I said earlier. Games are either too hard or too easy, never anywhere inbetween. DS is both too hard and too easy.

edit: I was just playing it 5 minutes ago, that's why I'm in such a good mood as I'm sure you can tell.

[Bananamatic]

commit sudoku

[AntiFritz]

This one?

Yeah that one.

[Annoyboy]

Cool. Since I can't seem to beat Planky's Futari 1.5 Original score, maybe I'll see if I can 1CC DeathSmiles before him to return the frustration. XD

Edit: Did it first try after reading the guide: https://live.xbox.com/en-GB/Activity/De ... 20Fwibbles. I think the only reason I could never 1CC it before was because I didn't know how to get the life up items. Score was 60462825 if anyone cares.

[Annoyboy]

For fuck's SAKE!! Is it even possible for anyone outside of Japan to complete a round of JP DeathSmiles under Score Attack without getting disconnected?!

[Marc]

I don't know what the fuck is going on, but I got so fed up of being disconnected from Score Attack on DS and DDPR that i wired my 360 into the box. It's still disconnecting me? What the fuck?

[DrTrouserPlank]

I'll join the disconnected crew there as well... was good..

Gave DS a run. Got through to jitterbug, died of course. Continued. killed him. Tyranowanker pops up, needed at least two more continues to kill him; probably 3. Bombs do no damage at all and his patterns are so fucking ludicrous that it makes you want to throw your controller through the TV. Screen-loads of crap coming from every fucking direction possible.... was worse than I remember it and my memory of it was that is was pretty fucking ridiculous.

[Erppo]

It is in fact impossible to fail Tyrannosatan if you get the life up cake.

[DrTrouserPlank]

It is in fact impossible to fail Tyrannosatan if you get the life up cake.

Yeah,

Get hit,
invincibility
Get hit again as soon as it wears off
invincibility
Hit again...

The screen is filled with so much stuff moving in every direction that it's impossible to avoid it. Once you get hit you are literally dead before you can regain any sort of grasp of what the fucking pattern is doing.

[Bananamatic]

are you trying to loop it by not bombing or something

[DrTrouserPlank]

are you trying to loop it by not bombing or something

The bombs do virtually no damage. They wipe the screen granted, but that's really just a containing tactic and doesn't help you make any progress.

Ridiculo-pattern approaching,
BOMB,
Ridiculo-pattern approaching again,
Oooh shit!, nope still can't deal with that,
BOMB,
Ridiculo-pattern approaching once more,
BOMB,
Ridiculo-pattern approaching yet again,
Die...

net result, virtually no damage inflicted, bombs depleted, lives to follow soon.

[moh]

nice to know that im not the only one who finds DS unbalanced.

But hey! it doesnt keep me from enjoying the game. I'm not a terribly skilled player, so a 1cc on Rank 2 is the best I can do.

Trying to clear anything with suicide bullets just rapes me. I dont find the suicide bullets fun to dodge, just annoying to dodge =\

[Aliquantic]

Trying to clear anything with suicide bullets just rapes me. I dont find the suicide bullets fun to dodge, just annoying to dodge =\

If you ever want to play with suicide bullets on, focus on absorbing them/using your familiar as a shield (try different characters to see which one works best for you), and misdirect them when practical, or just go on full speed and dodge around them. You don't really want to actually dodge the suicide bullets, just control them... and it's a lot easier using Sakura in MBL too for most people.

Jitterbug is actually kind of a major pain though, between some of his more annoying patterns, not being allowed to use bombs to get the big cake, and his maximum rank entrapment pattern (cheesable in DS, has to be dodged in MBL though ). Tyrranosatan boils down to actually aiming your bombs at the boss and using lockshot whenever not bombing (you can even use lockshot when bombing if you're player 2!).

[ratikal]

Inconsistency. That's all. :/

[Illyrian]

Jeez just play it non EX style to get the basic 1cc then go for the suicide bullet stuff afterwards

[TheSoundofRed]

nice to know that im not the only one who finds DS unbalanced.

But hey! it doesnt keep me from enjoying the game. I'm not a terribly skilled player, so a 1cc on Rank 2 is the best I can do.

Trying to clear anything with suicide bullets just rapes me. I dont find the suicide bullets fun to dodge, just annoying to dodge =\

Focus more on option placement to absorb suicide bullets rather than trying to dodge them.

[Annoyboy]

I'll join the disconnected crew there as well... was good..

Gave DS a run. Got through to jitterbug, died of course. Continued. killed him. Tyranowanker pops up, needed at least two more continues to kill him; probably 3. Bombs do no damage at all and his patterns are so fucking ludicrous that it makes you want to throw your controller through the TV. Screen-loads of crap coming from every fucking direction possible.... was worse than I remember it and my memory of it was that is was pretty fucking ridiculous.

Just play DeathSmiles IIX already. Use Lei. Wonder where the last boss went because the one you beat was a joke. BTW, I want to be on your team for STGT this year, OK? We'll call it "Nothing is possible" or something.

[ratikal]

I'll join the disconnected crew there as well... was good..

Gave DS a run. Got through to jitterbug, died of course. Continued. killed him. Tyranowanker pops up, needed at least two more continues to kill him; probably 3. Bombs do no damage at all and his patterns are so fucking ludicrous that it makes you want to throw your controller through the TV. Screen-loads of crap coming from every fucking direction possible.... was worse than I remember it and my memory of it was that is was pretty fucking ridiculous.

Just play DeathSmiles IIX already. Use Lei. Wonder where the last boss went because the one you beat was a joke.

I thought Follet was the overpowered one? At least for scoring.

Also adding, I hate how I feel like I'm not even progressing and feel that I'm actually getting worse at game I want to get good at. :/

[Annoyboy]

Follett is the best for scoring, yeah, but Lei is also pretty good for scoring and covers a wider area with her (/his) shot, which makes survival even easier.

[TrevHead (TVR)]

yeah Rosa imo sucks for dealing with suicide bullets due the the larger distance between loli and familiar

[AntiFritz]

Are we even playing the same game? You can beat tyrannosatan with like 2 lives worth of bombs. Even if you cant some of his patterns are fairly easy anyway that you shouldn't have to bomb at every moment.

Also I've never once been disconnected with my pal copies of ds/dfk. Odd that it happens to so many people though.

[TrevHead (TVR)]

Are we even playing the same game? You can beat tyrannosatan with like 2 lives worth of bombs. Even if you cant some of his patterns are fairly easy anyway that you shouldn't have to bomb at every moment.

The probability that he's ZUN or MON gets ever larger

@DrTrouserPlank Didnt you get to stage 5 in futari manic? You should be able to 1CC this game easily

[Illyrian]

Trevhead haven't you heard?

Futari is impossible, and larsa requires 450 lives to beat, MINIMUM!

[DrTrouserPlank]

Are we even playing the same game? You can beat tyrannosatan with like 2 lives worth of bombs. Even if you cant some of his patterns are fairly easy anyway that you shouldn't have to bomb at every moment.

The probability that he's ZUN or MON gets ever larger

@DrTrouserPlank Didnt you get to stage 5 in futari manic? You should be able to 1CC this game easily

1.5 original.