Shmup Ticker: What are you playing RIGHT NOW?

[Mr.Iff]

DDP DOJ

[sharpfork2]

PS2- just got my first one not long ago and LOVE it.
Ibara, Mushihime-sama

[KidQuaalude]

Ibara (PS2)
I suck at this game but since moving to a vertical setup at least I can now see the bullets better (as they hit my ship)

[FIL]

I'm going to play Under Defeat HD: Deluxe "now with more plastic naomi trees edition" today. Can somebody explain why on earth I bought this?

[Marc]

Sadly im really not enjoying it, feels a chore to play at the moment.

[SuperSoaker360]

[Klatrymadon]

Sadly im really not enjoying it, feels a chore to play at the moment.

What's irritating me is that I have the entire first loop memorised at this point, but keep making the same mistakes at the same points when I attempt a 1CC. Hell, the first boss still catches me out now and then. It's that awkward swinging around he does.

[Giest118]

Randomly got back to Mushihimesama Futari 1.5 Maniac after, like, a year of not playing it. I fucking hate stage 4. Hate it. Want it dead. I feel like I've got the hang of the mechanics at last though. It's amazing how much less finicky and retarded the mechanics feel after you bang your head against them for ten hours. It's like I put my hand on a hot stove for ten hours and stopped feeling it after a while.

[wiNteR]

What's irritating me is that I have the entire first loop memorised at this point, but keep making the same mistakes at the same points when I attempt a 1CC.

UD can be a very frustrating game if only played in full runs. Since there are only three lives, you get punished heavily for losing a life with bombs in stock. Also, the scrolling effect is much more pronounced than other games, which can take some getting used to.

First I wanted to improve my progression in DoDonPachi. But, after some practice, I felt it would be better to go for a clear (if I play it again at all) than dividing my progression in it in further discrete steps. But I felt like playing a somewhat easier (and also different from traditional scrollers) game that still provided a substantial challenge.

So, for that, I have been playing UD and I think it has fit perfectly. Since I cleared the first loop couple of years ago, I have been trying to get a NMNB on each individual level in second loop (it is more like a 1.5 version of the first loop if you consider how substantial the loop changes are in some other games). It's a lot of fun. Hopefully I would be able to do a 2-1 start clear after that (already did a somewhat lucky run where the game ended at the third form of last boss). I think I would have enjoyed the first loop more too if I played it that way (that is NMNB each individual first loop level) instead of playing frustrating full runs over and over.

Anyway, for a first loop clear, I think the important thing is to practice the fifth stage extensively (and especially the boss). Once you are confident that you can tackle the boss without using much bombs it would give you more room for mistakes early on in the game. Or you could try to lose no lives until the boss and bomb through it (but I think that approach can be frustrating). Also, it is better to have rocket through out than switching to other options (they only make few sections marginally easier but add the burden that you have to switch again). Atleast that's my opinion.

It is a fairly difficult first loop clear in any case.

[Klatrymadon]

Yeah, I've gone back to using the practice mode to keep my st5 run up to snuff. I use the rocket throughout the whole game, so no worries there. I will nail a clean run eventually - it's mostly just a matter of, as you say, re-learning to have the scrolling screen exactly where I want it at key moments, dealing with the bigger threats proactively, and not making stupid st2 mistakes.

Good luck with your NMNB efforts, too! I could do that fairly confidently up to about halfway through the fifth level myself, but now I'm back to having to use a bomb on the st2 battleship now and then due to messing up the general threat-management.

[Kollision]

What's irritating me is that I have the entire first loop memorised at this point, but keep making the same mistakes at the same points when I attempt a 1CC.

I had the exact same feeling as I was about to loop the game.
It's a rocket that targets the wrong enemy, a minor error in timing that screws the overall strategy, that pricky tank that escapes and fucks with the contribution %, doing it all wrong against the 4th boss, etc.

[SuperSoaker360]

Got Radiant Silvergun on XBLA to see what all the talk was about and holy crap I love it.
Stage 2 is kicking my ass though.

edit: How many points do I need for an extend? I'm playing the Story mode if that makes it any different.

[moh]

Got Radiant Silvergun on XBLA to see what all the talk was about and holy crap I love it.
Stage 2 is kicking my ass though.

edit: How many points do I need for an extend? I'm playing the Story mode if that makes it any different.

I didn't know there were extends in silvergun?

[Chaos Phoenixma]

1 million and 5 million for Arcade.

No Extends for Story Mode, but you get 10 lives if you play in Score Attack. For Normal play, you gain a life every hour up to 99.

But I really don't play RSG cause the game has randomly wiped out all my saves even though I did nothing that should have caused it several times causing me to lose progress on various things. At least I got the Merry Dog achievements and some others, but I'm not going to go for the 100% on all bosses when the game can just wipe my progress anytime.

[Obscura]

Just played a few credits of Garegga, after reading how to unlock the secret ships.

I seriously cannot believe how awful that game is, and can't comprehend how it gets voted #1 best shmup of all time.

How on earth do you create a shmup with 32 ships, where not a single one is reasonably usable? How do you make a game that has 5 frames of input lag- apparently, on the PCB as well as emulated- and get people to hail it as a classic, instead of as a complete pile of crap? Why do people think that medal chaining is a good score system in any way? Who the hell thinks that "grey bullets on a grey background" is ok color palette selection?

God, what a piece of shit.

[Giest118]

Just played a few credits of Garegga, after reading how to unlock the secret ships.

I seriously cannot believe how awful that game is, and can't comprehend how it gets voted #1 best shmup of all time.

How on earth do you create a shmup with 32 ships, where not a single one is reasonably usable? How do you make a game that has 5 frames of input lag- apparently, on the PCB as well as emulated- and get people to hail it as a classic, instead of as a complete pile of crap? Why do people think that medal chaining is a good score system in any way? Who the hell thinks that "grey bullets on a grey background" is ok color palette selection?

God, what a piece of shit.

RISK/REWURD.

It will justify literally any design decision or technical flaw, no matter how gaping or retarded.

[chempop]

Been mostly playing Eschatos, only had it a few weeks now. Very fun game, I'm impressed but I stand by my words that the perspective change (while very cool looking), does screw things up in several parts. My ship shouldn't move sideways when I press down in a shmup. Getting the 1CC in Original Normal was a decent enough challenge, playing for score is certainly worthwhile. Tried a few credits of Original Hard.. quite a jump in difficulty. Gave Advanced mode 1 credit, I wasn't as thrilled with the powerup system.

[Softdrink 117]

Played Deathsmiles earlier today, got a 3-3-2-2-3-3 1CC. Forgot how much fun this game can be, but I'm also reminded of my biggest frustration with it: playing all level 3s the difficulty goes from too easy to ridiculously hard in a very short time, whereas playing some other combo of difficulties to avoid Death Mode feels not quite challenging enough. I feel like it doesn't strike the same kind of difficulty balance I normally associate with CAVE games. But maybe I'm just picky, lol.

Regarding the "Garegga is a shitpile" argument: I personally HATED Garegga the first couple times I played it. Everything felt so wrong, and like a huge let down compared to all the hype surrounding the game. But I've really warmed up to it after playing it more, to the point where it's a game I could see myself owning someday. It's just very different, I guess.

[Drum]

Just played a few credits of Garegga, after reading how to unlock the secret ships.

I seriously cannot believe how awful that game is, and can't comprehend how it gets voted #1 best shmup of all time.

How on earth do you create a shmup with 32 ships, where not a single one is reasonably usable? How do you make a game that has 5 frames of input lag- apparently, on the PCB as well as emulated- and get people to hail it as a classic, instead of as a complete pile of crap? Why do people think that medal chaining is a good score system in any way? Who the hell thinks that "grey bullets on a grey background" is ok color palette selection?

God, what a piece of shit.

And you haven't even come close to scratching at its deeper flaws, which are obscured behind a veil of shit and stupid.
Mass hypnosis is the only explanation.

[man9child]

I like Garegga. But I'm playing Ibara right now, which features even more shit and stupid. So who the hell knows.

[EmperorIng]

those crazy Raizing guys!

Sometimes I play Kingdom Grandprix and think to myself "What the hell is the big deal?"

[Klatrymadon]

Possibly a stupid question - I've not had occasion to try this before now - but if I used a US account to buy the 'Games On Demand' versions of Raiden IV/Aces and Deathsmithes IIX, would I find them region-locked nonetheless (i.e. unable to run on my PAL machine)?

(I fear I already know the answer to this. )

[Kollision]

Just played a few credits of Garegga, after reading how to unlock the secret ships.

I seriously cannot believe how awful that game is, and can't comprehend how it gets voted #1 best shmup of all time.

How on earth do you create a shmup with 32 ships, where not a single one is reasonably usable? How do you make a game that has 5 frames of input lag- apparently, on the PCB as well as emulated- and get people to hail it as a classic, instead of as a complete pile of crap? Why do people think that medal chaining is a good score system in any way? Who the hell thinks that "grey bullets on a grey background" is ok color palette selection?

God, what a piece of shit.

you just made my day, man
thanks for the honesty

[Obscura]

The funny thing is, I can actually handle the shit and stupid in Batrider; that game is pretty fun despite it (although, that game does have an edge, since it gives you options to avoid some of its unique stupid, and since a lot of its ships are really, really powerful, unlike Garegga). And, even though I'll never beat the second boss in Ibara (game needs a "normal course"...), I don't hate the game nearly as much as I do Garegga for some reason that I can't figure out (well, actually being able to control the ship is pretty nice...).

But Garegga? Holy hell, fuck that.

[EmperorIng]

Of the Raizing games I've played (which admittedly does not cover Garegga - can't get a mame rom working and I am not super-wealthy for the Saturn port), Soukyogurentai is probably my favorite.

Which coincidentally, I was playing last night, and sucking really fucking hard at. I'm out of practice - before I could get to the Asteroid level on one continue. Last night I was dying on stage 2. ...

I really wish I could find a cab of Terra Diver out there somewhere in the wild.

[Obscura]

The only Raizing games I've played are the "Bat" trilogy.

I'm pretty sure Souky isn't done by Yagawa, so it probably doesn't have much in common. I've been religiously avoiding it because the "don't grab power ups, ever, for any reason" thing sounds too stupid to actually deal with.

[man9child]

There is rank in Souky, but it's much easier to deal with than in a Yagawa game.

Avoiding powerups keeps your rank down, but also has the added advantage of triggering more powerup pods. When you shoot a powerup pod it explodes into mostly powerups (avoid) but also bombs (nab). So by keeping the rank down you get more bombs, which isn't bad.

And having a weak main shot is kind of irrelevant because you'll mostly be using your lock shot which is unaffected by your main shots power.

It's a good game, feels very different than Garegga or the others though.

[Klatrymadon]

I am not super-wealthy for the Saturn port

Eek, what's the going rate? I got mine for ~£30 a few years ago...

[EmperorIng]

Yeah, not-powering-up your ship is offset by the fact that the game just seems to throw bombs at you - it's not uncommon to have something like 6 or 7 bombs by stage 3, depending on how lucky you are with the drops.

Quick question: Can anyone recommend the DS Space Invaders Extreme games? One over the other?

I am not super-wealthy for the Saturn port

Eek, what's the going rate? I got mine for ~£30 a few years ago...

I don't know what lucky place you picked yours up, but I have yet to see a copy of Battle Garegga on ebay that is below $100.

[Klatrymadon]

I think it was eBay! Just having a quick look on the UK version now, and the cheapest one seems to be a £90 "buy it now" offer. *gulp*