newcomer confused about DoDonPachi stuff...

[DarkSlayer]

HI im new to the shmup genre and after doing some research i accquired what seems to be the best shmups to get a feel for the genre (ikaruga, radiant silvergun, r type delta, r type dimensions (xbox 360 port thing), DoDonPachi Resurection)

I went for the xbox version of DoDOnPachi due to online leader board, being able to use it on my tv and a nice practise mode (After i read Full Extent of the Jam i realied practise mode is important)

I found a ship i like (type c with power mode) as autobomb seems a bit? stupid imo.

But which version of the game do i play!? to begin with it seemed ovious to go with 1.51 as it was the newest version (havent got black lable yet) but then i look at the leaderboards and there is alot less entries compared to 1.5.

For some one trying to get into the series should i go for 1.5, 1.51 or black lable (or the arrange modes!?)

So confusing

But as a side note the changes in 1.51 seem good (although i have no idea if they acctually are as im new to this shmup stuff)

Also side not i have a ls-32 semitsu joystick, but it seems quite sensitive for the faster shooters- should i consider a regular sanwa (but floppier)


Thanks

[Marc]

Just play whichever version feels best for you. Only rule on a controller is find one comfortable enough that you don't get to blame it when you die!

[trap15]

1.51 is horribly broken for scoring and, while fun, not many people play it. It was a Matsuri version I believe, so it's not exactly the "newest" version either. 1.5 is what you should be playing if you want to play Daifukkatsu. Black Label is quite a bit different, but also very fun. So play one of those two

[Friendly]

i accquired what seems to be the best shmups to get a feel for the genre (ikaruga [...])

I wouldn't call Ikaruga one of the best shmups, it's just among the best known. It really isn't representative of the genre, either. Some would argue that it's more of a puzzle game than a shooter (rightfully so).

[Hagane]

HI im new to the shmup genre and after doing some research i accquired what seems to be the best shmups to get a feel for the genre (ikaruga, radiant silvergun, r type delta, r type dimensions (xbox 360 port thing), DoDonPachi Resurection)

You might want to check this site's annual top 25 if you want to get some good titles to play

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?t=38073

It doesn't list all the good games and one can argue the placings, but it's a good place to start.

[Erppo]

1.5 is the real game. 1.51 is a silly arrange-like version with very odd scoring. BL is the another arcade release but it plays completely differently from 1.5 (and other DDPs). It's a pretty good game too but somewhat wacky, especially with Power style. BL Arrange is the Ketsui fusion version, which is also pretty good, except for the fact that the last boss is worth much more than the entire game before it.

[jepjepjep]

1.5 is what you should be playing if you want to play Daifukkatsu. Black Label is quite a bit different, but also very fun. So play one of those two

+1

Stick with the LS-32 too. It may take some time to get used to it but you'll most likely come to appreciate the smaller dead zone than Sanwa.

[DarkSlayer]

also im assuming novice mode isnt worth looking at?

[Meseki]

also im assuming novice mode isnt worth looking at?

Probably not, unless you can't handle the normal mode. I don't think the bees are even hidden in that mode.

[DarkSlayer]

ok. Thanks for all the info guys had a look at that list and reading about a few of them now (gradius V looks niiiice)

IS xbox live leaderboards a valid way to compare skill/high score?

I notice there are lots of high score lists on this forum

EDIT: also is it just preferance going for highscore before 1cc or is it best to do one before attempting the other

[Hagane]

If you are completely new to shooters, I'd say first learn the basics and play something for the 1CC. Then when you have a bit more experience play for score from the start.

[Erppo]

IS xbox live leaderboards a valid way to compare skill/high score?

The board of the Japanese release is pretty high level so it should give a pretty good idea what's a good score. From what I've heard, the European release is not, and the boards still have only a handful of good scores.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

EDIT: also is it just preferance going for highscore before 1cc or is it best to do one before attempting the other

Depends where your overall skill level is. If you're pretty good at shmups you can learn to work at scoring and the clear at the same time I guess, although I think it can be a personal preference thing - I feel more comfortable getting good enough to 1cc a game before really worrying about learning high-level scoring. Being really new to the genre, I'd focus more on getting used to dodging the bullets than paying that close attention to your score. Although for games with scoring extends you might have to learn at least decent scoring to get all the scoring extends but you can usually manage that without needing too much effort if you're just aiming to 1cc.

[DarkSlayer]

ok thanks alot guys.

Im guessing i need the japenese version if i want to see the leader boards

[Cagar]

I've also heard truly sad horror-stories of the European leaderboards

[rancor]

I put this together a few months ago regarding DDP DFK. Hope it helps you some.

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.ph ... 7&start=28

[AntiFritz]

also im assuming novice mode isnt worth looking at?

Novice mode teaches you the bee locations.

[DarkSlayer]

I put this together a few months ago regarding DDP DFK. Hope it helps you some.

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.ph ... 7&start=28

thankyou! reading now

[AweOfShe]

also im assuming novice mode isnt worth looking at?

Novice mode teaches you the bee locations.

That's what I personally like about Novice myself.
Though I still tend to miss a few in stage 5 regardless.

[DarkSlayer]

ah ok the bees can be seen in novice

I picked up a nice 19" CRT to play shmups/ps2 games on- but was thinking mame would look nice on it too. Was wondering what was you guys connect PC's to CRT tv's with no lag?
I have a dvi out and hdmi out on my pc and scart in on the tv

[guigui]

also im assuming novice mode isnt worth looking at?

As far as I'm concerned I play Cave ports this way :

- a few credits in normal mode : die fast, see if I like the general setting of the game.
- several credits in novice mode. It helps me learn a lot of stuff : hitbox, enemy placement, general settings of their pattern, bees location, when to actually bomb, music of advanced stages etc... I play novice until I can 1-life the game really easily, but never more than two days straight.
- back to normal mode which seems quite hard right after novice. But very fast what I've just learned comes into action and I play way better than if I had just stuck to normal.

[Acid_Rain]

For any other entry points to the genre try this thread.

[O. Van Bruce]

In Daifukkatsu, play novice until you can get a Omotte, or even better, Ura clear. Novice mode of Daifukkatsu is quite challenging by itself so don't discard it so easily.

[DarkSlayer]

thanks for the info guys checkin that list out. Yer novice mode is quite good...

Another question: i rotated my CRT tv on its side for a bigger screen- are there any performance issues with this? (interms of lag/damage/resolution wierdness) because the menus all of a sudden looked like crap but the game still looks ok- assuming this is somethiong to do with verticle res being smaller (640x480 or whatever standard crt TV are)


EDIT: i dont know if its coz iv been playing too long or placebo but my eyes hurt a little when its verticle

[Bananamatic]

Novice mode of Daifukkatsu is quite challenging

about as much as daioujou no bullets mode

[O. Van Bruce]

Novice mode of Daifukkatsu is quite challenging

about as much as daioujou no bullets mode

Bananaman... if he's just starting with this thing, let him enjoy the game and do not send him to hell. And It IS challenging when you have to enter Ura and get to Hibachi.

[Obiwanshinobi]

I picked up a nice 19" CRT to play shmups/ps2 games on- but was thinking mame would look nice on it too. Was wondering what was you guys connect PC's to CRT tv's with no lag?
I have a dvi out and hdmi out on my pc and scart in on the tv

From what I know, as a rule of thumb video cards do NOT make proper use of SCART sockets (unlike most PAL consoles from the last three generations). There are leads with SCART plugs, but video cards TV outputs just don't send RGB this way (and you want that; I hope you got RGB leads for your consoles).
Just get a CRT monitor for your PC (while they are still cheap).

[DarkSlayer]

I picked up a nice 19" CRT to play shmups/ps2 games on- but was thinking mame would look nice on it too. Was wondering what was you guys connect PC's to CRT tv's with no lag?
I have a dvi out and hdmi out on my pc and scart in on the tv

From what I know, as a rule of thumb video cards do NOT make proper use of SCART sockets (unlike most PAL consoles from the last three generations). There are leads with SCART plugs, but video cards TV outputs just don't send RGB this way (and you want that; I hope you got RGB leads for your consoles).
Just get a CRT monitor for your PC (while they are still cheap).

im just using the stanard AV cables (red, white, yellow) for my consoles (xbox 360, ps2) Do these do the job?

[Obiwanshinobi]

im just using the stanard AV cables (red, white, yellow) for my consoles (xbox 360, ps2) Do these do the job?

Nope, it's only composite.
RGB (SCART a.k.a. Euro) cables for such popular consoles are dirt-cheap. Just get ones with separate stereo output (otherwise you'll be sentenced to whatever speakers your telly has). Any RGB leads will do, provided the consoles are as close to the TV as possible. The difference should be quite striking. Once you get to see RGB, there's no turning back. Even 640i in some games look incredible. Odin Sphere is drop-dead gorgeous.
Of course some PS2 ports have badly ported graphics (Ibara for example). On the other hand Psyvariar 2 and Homura look very tidy despite interlacing (deflickering works a treat). The first Psyvariar, however, looks better with deflickering set to 0 in the game's options.
From what I saw on a PAL CRT (60 Hz, RGB):

Good:
Gradius V, Psyvariar 2, Homura, Contra: Shattered Soldier (looks like MGS2/Z.O.E. engine to me), everything 240p (DDP DOJ and Espgaluda in tate, countless PSX games; just DON'T use the PS2's texture smoothing for crying out loud)

Decent:
Sengoku Ace & Sengoku Blade, Psyvariar -Complete Edition- (in PAL version switch the 60 Hz mode on in options and disable deflickering), Castle Shikigami 2 (trust me, you want the NTSC US/C version; deflickering is also controllable in this one), Trizeal

Bad:
Ibara, Mushihime-sama, numerous retro colllections... The less said about those, the better.

[DarkSlayer]

im just using the stanard AV cables (red, white, yellow) for my consoles (xbox 360, ps2) Do these do the job?

Nope, it's only composite.
RGB (SCART a.k.a. Euro) cables for such popular consoles are dirt-cheap. Just get ones with separate stereo output (otherwise you'll be sentenced to whatever speakers your telly has). Any RGB leads will do, provided the consoles are as close to the TV as possible. The difference should be quite striking. Once you get to see RGB, there's no turning back. Even 640i in some games look incredible. Odin Sphere is drop-dead gorgeous.
Of course some PS2 ports have badly ported graphics (Ibara for example). On the other hand Psyvariar 2 and Homura look very tidy despite interlacing (deflickering works a treat). The first Psyvariar, however, looks better with deflickering set to 0 in the game's options.
From what I saw on a PAL CRT (60 Hz, RGB):

Good:
Gradius V, Psyvariar 2, Homura, Contra: Shattered Soldier (looks like MGS2/Z.O.E. engine to me), everything 240p (DDP DOJ and Espgaluda in tate, countless PSX games; just DON'T use the PS2's texture smoothing for crying out loud)

Decent:
Sengoku Ace & Sengoku Blade, Psyvariar -Complete Edition- (in PAL version switch the 60 Hz mode on in options and disable deflickering), Castle Shikigami 2 (trust me, you want the NTSC US/C version; deflickering is also controllable in this one), Trizeal

Bad:
Ibara, Mushihime-sama, numerous retro colllections... The less said about those, the better.

ok thanks alot- just ordered RGB cables for the ps2/xbox 360 I never new scart could do HD- not that the crt im using is HD.

Cheers