Favorite shooters to play for score?

[MathU]

Because we all know an addictive scoring system is a barrel of fun, let's hear what some of your favorites are and why you like them so much.

[BIL]

Kamui is probably my favorite on boss scoring. The bosses have a lot of parts you can destroy and they time out relatively quick so you'll be in a hurry taking down all the parts you can with as high multiplier as possible. Multiplier works similar to Crimzon Clover where you want to use full lockon which leaves you more vulnerable to attacks.

Seconded. It's intense fun juggling the multiplier, time limit and laser in Kamui's boss battles - and also the boss's health, since accidentally killing it at low multiplier will dent your score. Lasering while maintaining multiplier during the stages is a similar balancing act: the bullet-cancelling, enemy-obliterating laser drains the lockon multiplier, and vice-versa. Kamui's resource-juggling system transitions perfectly from stages to bosses.

And besides the obvious score boost, it gives an authoritative sense of destroying with measured, powerful strikes rather than frantic weaker ones, while evading enemy attacks rather than simply cancelling them. So there's a real visceral payoff, too, something I greatly appreciate in any type of scoring game.

[Cagar]

-

[ケツイ]

Ketsui.
Unlike DOJ, you don't lose scoring potential for the rest of the stage for one little mistake, and you have way more freedom.

This!

[Sapz]

DFK 1.5. The stages are really well designed and the system has a lot more depth that previous DDPs, and combining that with the stock Pachi tension of being one mistake away from losing everything makes it the most exciting system I've played. Once you get the chains right, they look like a work of art.

[moozooh]

Futari 1.5 Original and Ketsui. There are other games/modes whose scoring systems I greatly admire as well, but I just can't ignore scoring in these two, it's too addicting.

[njiska]

Mushihimesama Futari BL Original. The first shmup I ever played for score. There's just something about being pixels away and bleeding gems that I find exhilarating.

[man9child]

Ketsui. There are nuances involved, like the air lock, but the basic idea is really intuitive and point blanking everything for the entire game gets me up out of the bottom part of the screen. It's really fun to be rewarded for playing so aggressively.

[hwl]

Playing for score sucks, as we all learned in another thread recently.












Oh well, Ketsui and Futari Original.

[mdsfx]

No one likes scoring in Galuda 2??

[Gus]

No one likes scoring in Galuda 2??

More like no one plays it.

[Smraedis]

Psyvariar, GigaWing... I'd say Bakraid but it was rather frustrating.

[dunpeal2064]

Muchi Muchi Pork.

I love the turning the screen into tons of shiny snouts, and I love picking the bosses apart for milking.

[mdsfx]

No one likes scoring in Galuda 2??

More like no one plays it.

I lOVE Galuda 2. The art style, slow-down/gold-digging mechanic, and patterns make it one of my favorite cave games. Too bad it's also brutal and has 16 stages (ok, gross exaggeration)

[chempop]

Galuda 1&2 have the best score system out of the cave games to me, by a considerable margin too. Futari Black Maniac and God are also both excellent.

Right now I'm hooked on Dimahoo, the treasure collecting is often frowned upon, but I think it is a brilliant way to increase the multiplier and rank. Plus nailing those secret items is a rewarding experience... So shiny!

Mars Mattix also has one of the best, but I suck at it.

[man9child]

I'll be that guy. I like playing Ikaruga and Radiant Silvergun (extreme boss milking aside) for score.

[iconoclast]

Futari 1.5 Maniac and Akai Katana + Shin are my favorites. Futari has my favorite scoring concept - build a meter, put yourself in a dangerous position, cash it in and collect the shinies. It's kinda hard to explain why I like Akai Katana arcade, but I guess it's just fun to herd a bunch of bullets together and turn them into gold. I prefer the Shin scoring system though, since much like Futari, it's about building a meter and cashing it in (and chaining).

Death Smiles II is also great because scoring changes so much between the two top character, Lei and Casper. Lei is all about milking everything as much as you possibly can, to the point where you're firing backwards half the time, so the screen is always flooded with scoring items. Casper's style is a bit more frantic, as her score comes from constantly kiting suicide bullets with the lock-shot and releasing them just before you get hit. Constantly having to keep an eye on your counter so you can time a complete recharge is another fun aspect of the game.

Dodonpachi Daioujou BL is another favorite of mine when I'm doing well on it, but it aggravates me a lot because one mistake can cost you anywhere from 30 million to 300 million. Espgaluda II is a lot of fun too, but right now I only know that game on a basic level.


And just so I can get some non-Cave games into this post, Under Defeat's scoring is simple, but very satisfying because it rewards smart use of your option. I also enjoyed Strania's system, because it rewards you for using every weapon in the game equally, and timing a boss kill just as your overdrive is about to run out for the fat bonus is awesome. Raiden Fighters Jet's medal collection is also a lot of fun because it's fast and exciting, and one mistake can kill your medal value.

[daliscar]

Only a recent discovering but Zen-Ichi actually. As Ltc pointed out it manages to combine some of the ethos of Raiden Fighters with CAVE elements and it's really satisfying collecting gems and building meters for shields, bombs and , most importantly, multipliers.

[RNGmaster]

Giga Wang 2, Dragon Blaze, Hellsinker, and Garegga (fucking flamingoes). I like games where watching the score increase is a matter of doing something and watching a number go up, not something like Perfect Cherry Blossom where the things you do to score (graze) don't directly increase score but rather just make future items worth more. I prefer systems that are immediate and direct.

[Giest118]

Crimzon Clover on Unlimited mode.

Holy shit, cancelling bullets with a full lock-on is fun, and so is Double Break mode.

[CHI]

Muchi Muchi Pork.

I love the turning the screen into tons of shiny snouts, and I love picking the bosses apart for milking.

+1

[Bananamatic]

psyvariar, homura, chorensha

[mdsfx]

Muchi Muchi Pork.

I love the turning the screen into tons of shiny snouts, and I love picking the bosses apart for milking.

+1

+2 I forgot just how much I love it. I have yet to make 1cc attempts because I get hooked on the gold every time I play.

[ciox]

psyvariar, homura, chorensha

[Moniker]

I still find myself going back to the caravan games quite a lot. Soldier Blade, Final Soldier, Recca to a lesser extent (at least for score attack), and of course the glorious Blade Buster.

[Klatrymadon]

Psyvariar

Yeah! It's so satisfying when the Complete Edition starts replacing its "expert" replays with your own.

(Of course, they probably weren't anything special, but still.)

[Skykid]

Progear, Galuda II, Akai Katana Shin and DFK BL have all been particularly fun for me.

And yeah, I kind of enjoyed DOJ's chaining in the end too (I know, it's weird.)

[trap15]

Favorites in order of enjoyment:
1. Battle Bakraid
2. Armed Police Batrider
3. Battle Garegga
4. Zetsu Akai Katana
5. DoDonPachi Daifukkatsu Black Label Arrange (Daifukketsui)

[njiska]

No one likes scoring in Galuda 2??

More like no one plays it.

I lOVE Galuda 2. The art style, slow-down/gold-digging mechanic, and patterns make it one of my favorite cave games. Too bad it's also brutal and has 16 stages (ok, gross exaggeration)

I kind of have to agree with Gus. I've owned the X360 port of Galuda 2 since it was released and I just can't stand it. The scoring is a little too complex for my tastes and the music makes me want to hurl. Definitely enjoyed the original a lot more. I will agree the patterns are nice, although the final pattern of the final boss completely rapes my shit.

[evil_ash_xero]

I have a good time with Deathsmiles MBL. That's the only one I really play for score, honestly.