Shmup Ticker: What are you playing RIGHT NOW?

[Marc]

Ho Shit. Just played a few credits of Pink Sweets and MMP. Talk about a change of pace. Too early to have any real grip on either yet - though Sweets looks like a dayglo Garrega - but the disc itself feels a bit rushed and cheap to me.

Can I ask what the DLC is for as well, as I bought it new. Worth unlocking, or something trivial?

[null1024]

Ikaruga [DC]. Made it to the third stage and almost immediately lost my last life.
Went to practice that stage, and immediately died three times, so I gave up for today. Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.


Also, what DC shmups should I get? I don't like Giga Wing [and I really don't like GW2], I know about Mars Matrix and will probably get that, unsure about getting Border Down, list other suggestions.

[Friendly]

Ho Shit. Just played a few credits of Pink Sweets and MMP. Talk about a change of pace. Too early to have any real grip on either yet - though Sweets looks like a dayglo Garrega - but the disc itself feels a bit rushed and cheap to me.

Can I ask what the DLC is for as well, as I bought it new. Worth unlocking, or something trivial?

Gives you the Matsuri (festival) version of MMP, which adds the bosses from Pink Sweets after the regular MMP bosses.

[Ruldra]

Died in stage 28 of Varth today.
Stupid deaths all over - still need to polish some tricky areas.
From all the random waves the worst ones are the helicopters that come straight down firing aimed shots.

You're very close to the end, hang in there!

[AttObl]

Batsugun Special Version: As expected, I died at Jupiter. I feel like Batsugun should be renamed to "Massive Firepower: The Game".

Also, Jupiter is my favorite boss... Despite it killing me with tons of bullets and in one case, BEAMS.

[ChainsawGuitarSP]

After my first sitting with DoDonPachi, I'm already midway through stage 5. With two more (sloppy) credits, I'm at the final boss.
...

...

...

wat.

[gbaplayer]

playing v-v right now and i can´t beat the level 2 boss. XD

[elvis]

Akai Katana finally arrived. Boo for living in a PAL territory.

[Moniker]

playing v-v right now and i can´t beat the level 2 boss. XD

Just started playing this as well. Try switching to missiles and keeping an active shield ala gradius. Shot is probably better, but shifting the spread can be a bit much to take in at first, since the powerup system also demands attention away from the field.

[Marc]

Loving the awesomeness that is Pink Sweets. The two button setup is a nice change from the recent Cave stuff, and it just feels like a throwback to simpler fare. I like the rank 'gage' as well.

[Thunderprince]

with Dodonpachi 2 on mame now, been messing with that. not great, had to play it on IR mode to get a decent challenge out of it. Found an arcade that has scoreboards in the Chicago area, so I'm thinking of practicing up on the shooters they have there. I want to get on that big board!! I feel most confident at playing either Aero Fighters 2 or Gyruss or Truxton or something. I could get mad respect with some Truxton skillz. If they had Batsugun or Batrider that high score board would be MINE!

[dunpeal2064]

I have Dodonpachi II in the mail. What do you think of it, aside the difficulty being off? Worth a good romping every now and then? I know its not Cave quality, but it seemed worth a try.

I was playing Metal Black all weekend. A stubbornness came over me and I could not stop until I cleared stage 3.

[Thunderprince]

Based on the hour or two I spent messing around with it, it is a serviceable bullet hell game. I wouldn't pick it over a true Cave title, of course. It's not "bad" by any means. The bullet patterns range from pathetic (first boss), to stupid crazy. Reused graphics out the wah-zoo. You could do much worse than this, its pretty good. I actually had a much easier time chaining in this one, I felt like I was actually playing properly!

[KAI]

Playing Judgement Silversword - Rebirth Edition, i can't believe i missed this games all this years.

[Klatrymadon]

Been playing quite a few caravan games (and their longer modes), lately. I've never been overly keen on Hudson/Compile-style stuff, but I've been having a blast trying to break 2mil in Star Soldier R, and messing around with Super Star Shooter and the PSP Star Soldier remake. I actually single-credited the latter's normal mode the other day (the subweapons make it a bit too easy), and did the same in Gunhed afterward. Might revisit Soldier Blade next.

[CloudyMusic]

Picked up a copy of Raiden Fighters Aces. I don't have too much experience with the Raiden series, but it's pretty damn fun so far.

[Aquas]

Ordyne!

What a nice little gem this game is. The attention to detail is heartwarming. Gotta love cute'em'ups.
I'm just nudging my way to a 1cc and loving every minute.

[Throsh]

I've been mainly playing Futari, and when I'm bored of that game I'll play Ketsui.

[Captain]

Assault heroes.

Pretty good for an euroshmup.

(mod edit - link to filehosting site with full version commercial PC game removed)

[RealPlumpBox]

Finally softmodded my Wii. So I started trying out illvelo. WTF! That game is crazy. Portals and floating computer parts and more portals. I am so lost with that game! !!!

[null1024]

Triggerheart Exelica [DC]. Very fun, although I have gotten myself killed more than once with the swing mechanic.

Haven't played this in ages, since I haven't been able to access a machine beefy enough to emulate it.
But now I have Real Hardware (TM).

Also, I wish the damn VMU description for JP saves wasn't a mess of mojibake when your system language isn't set to Japanese...

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Spent the night actually putting some effort into DDPDOJ BL. Got to the stage 4 boss for the first time as B-S as I'm running out of a hyper, fully expecting to get raped, proceed to beat it deathless with only one bomb. Feeling accomplished, although I'm convinced the fight was a fluke!

lol, stage 5 midboss wiped me out, had no idea what I was doing when it charged to the bottom of the screen

[RNGmaster]

I hate myself for making 200 posts on this thread.

[Marc]

I just read a Pink Sweets guide. It punishes you for, basically, playing. Ouch.

[EmperorIng]

Ikaruga [DC]. Made it to the third stage and almost immediately lost my last life.
Went to practice that stage, and immediately died three times, so I gave up for today. Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.


Also, what DC shmups should I get? I don't like Giga Wing [and I really don't like GW2], I know about Mars Matrix and will probably get that, unsure about getting Border Down, list other suggestions.

It might be a few weeks later, but you can't go wrong with Gunbird 2!

Gunbird was already a fantastic game, but Gunbird 2 has so much more variety in the way you play, thanks to the addition of special attacks and close-range attacks. The game is as hard as nails though. Psykio twitch reflexes needed!

At this moment, I'm trying out DoDonPachi on MAME for the first time. Pretty amazing, but I'm sure I'm 6 years late to the party on these forums. Also a bit of Progear because the boss portraits and captions are funny and I'm always up for a fun horizontal. Though I have no clue what the hitbox on your huge-ass plane is supposed to be. >.>

[mesh control]

Nah, go with Zero Gunner 2.

[Thunderprince]

last night I sat down and powered through Grindstormer, credit feeding like crazy. I probably went through about 30 continues by the end. I can honestly say it's in the top 5 hardest shooters I've ever played. It feels impossible. Oddly enough, none of the bosses gave me too much trouble.

[null1024]

Psyvariar 2 [DC]... or I would be if the damn thing would ever load the second level. I really need to get a PSx->DC controller box, buzzing felt horrid on the DC pad [and I kind of felt like it'd break].

Also, in other news, the DC pad feels like your thumb is more supposed to rest on the D-Pad, rather than the analog stick. The stick is just barely within comfortable reach for me, and the pad is far more comfortable to use [and thus, has been used more, so glad nearly every DC game I own supports digital movement].

[also, it would be nice if I could just play PS2 version of Psyvariar 2, but I'd need a J-PS2, or some damn way of installing Free McBoot, asdfghjkl].

Oh, and more Triggerheart Exelica [DC]. Stupid death after stupid death, gaaaaah. And I was doing pretty well, just dying on patterns I was more than capable of dodging.

I want to go back and play Ikaruga, but stage 3 does not like me at all. It discourages me.


@mesh control & EmperorIng:
Thanks for the suggestions! I'll check them out when I can!

[beatsgo]

Got myself a copy of Satazius from Steam and enjoying a gradius-like shmup. Manage to get to the fire level on one credit until got screwed from that scroll down section. Fun game, looking forward to 1ccing it.

[RNGmaster]

Rob made a comment to the effect that 750,000 was possible in the first 4 stages of Dragon Blaze, on default order. I proved that in a single run today!



Not a big deal but I'm tightening up scoring quite a bit now that I'm shooting for 1.8m.