Garegga Problems

[XoPachi]

Everyone praises Battle Garegga and everyone told me it's an excellent game, but personally, I absolutely hate it. I've been trying to play it for a week now after playing it a few years ago and can't for the life of me get to grips with it. I remember struggling even then.

Maybe I just suck since no one else seems to notice the issues I have. I'm finding the game not only unbelievably DREADFULLY boring, but I can't imagine who decided to make have the bullets microscopic and the exact color as most of the backgrounds (stage 1 is the prime culprit). If it's one thing that pisses me off about a shooter, it's when the bullets, the main threat, have poor contrast. I've never died in even Mars Matrix like I die in this and that is a brutal bastard of a game so I'm still stumped between it being me or the game. I can see if I try hard enough, but I focus on one thing and can't see something else. That shouldn't happen. O^O

The control is as stiff as Silver Surfer on NES and the hitbox seems incredibly disproportionate to the amount of bullets also. But, that could just be, I don't know, the bullets just being barely visible most of the time so I don't even know for sure. There don't seem to even be that many. This game was actually why I avoided Raizing shooters for a time before I found Batrider. I love that game.

Maybe I'm just crazy... A lot of people think I should like this and I want to, but damn.

[Lan Di]

If you want to get rid of it, send me a PM with a reasonable offer.

[KAI]

Learn to love it.

[Hagane]

You are not the only one, a lot of people posted similar complaints many times before...

... and then a lot of them realized they were wrong after they learned to play the game.

As for bullet visibility, it's only annoying if you are playing on a tiny monitor in letterbox mode. On a tated display (or letterbox in a decent screen) you see them fine. Controls are good, though it depends what are you playing it on (MAME adds several frames of extra delay). If you find it boring, try playing it for score (you have a very complete guide in the strategy section). It's very unique.

[XoPachi]

Forget I said anything...

[BareKnuckleRoo]

My only issue is I can't seem to get the code working to unlock the Mahou Daisakusen characters (up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, a, b, c, start) working any more. Do I have to input it superfast right after inserting credit, do I tap A then B then C or A+B+C at once, etc? I know I used to be able to get it working the first few times I tried the game.

edit: d'oh, 2P controls overlapped with the ABC buttons on 1P side, so it was messing up the code input, no wonder.

[Plasmo]

Actually when I've first played Garegga I couldn't stand it as well. Played a few credits and quickly put it back in the shelf. Not only the controls felt wrong, but the scoring system simply looked boring. There was too much dirt and shrapnel everywhere and, of course, invisible bullets that looked like shit.

I have to say that I didn't really know many other shmups at that time and just got started with the genre itself. After playing lots of different titles I came back to Garegga a few years later and fell in love with it. I really could appreciate its beauty and sheer perfection only in relation to other games - But that's the way it probably always is!

So in a way you could really bring up that cheesy comparison with good whine.

Oh yeah, and then there's always a thing called taste. People are trying to tell me that Touhou is fun - I kindly tell them to leave the room.

[KyoKusagani1999]

HINT: Use Type 2! Type 2 / New Version makes the bullets Bright and stand out.
The fact that RAIZING Fixed this at all shows how much they care.
Very very much.

I personally can't stand the original version, even if it has 2 loops...
but you take my main complaint with it away? BAM. It becomes the classic
I've always been looking for, and MUCH MUCH more!

[Drachenherz]

So in a way you could really bring up that cheesy comparison with good whine.

This typo made me chuckle, because it suits this thread so well.

[Plasmo]

Time to pay some more attention to what I actually type before hitting "submit".

[BulletMagnet]

Outta curiosity, have you spent any time in this thread? Garegga's one of those shooters that can't really be "taken at face value", for lack of a better term, as there's lots of stuff going on that isn't immediately evident; a bit of a shame, as it makes the game harder to get into than it ought to be, and it's already a fair amount to keep track of even if you know what's going on.

Of course, no shmup will appeal to everyone, so you shouldn't feel like you "need" to like Garegga any more than anything else, but I will submit that you should play it enough so that you can at least understand why others enjoy it, even if it's not to your personal taste.

[Deca]

I feel that the fact it's so obtuse and unintuitive with its mechanics makes it much more rewarding and enjoyable once you come to grips with them.

You certainly don't have to like the game, but I feel that you should do a little more reading up on it and play it enough to fully understand it on a basic level. The complaints you're making now sound very uninformed and that's the reason people aren't going to take them seriously. Figure the game out, you may still find that it just isn't for you but you'll be able to make better points explaining why that's the case.

Just because a game is great doesn't mean you have to like it, but as a genre fan you should be able to appreciate what others see in it.

[Obscura]

Honestly, I didn't enjoy Garegga until I played several credits where I ignored all of the bizarre meta-mechanics, and played it like a normal shmup.

I'd say pick Gain C, and play it like any other shmup until you're able to hit stage 5. Then, start thinking about rank.

[xris]

Whoa, weird thread...
Sudden confessional from Plasmo.. Supporters saying that it's kind of boring. A suggestion to red ball (boo! Hiss!) Backwards day?
It's when you realize you have to play on the razor's edge, and take some chances to have fun and manipulate the game is when it is fun. I thought it exceeded the hype, and taught me a ton about playing shmups in general. When you hit the third stage, and you are still chaining medals and have pulled a trick or two, you are pretty damn pleased with yourself.
Sure, it's not for everybody, but there's a certain balance that is rather challenging to understand. There is some homework that is needed just to play the game.
Hell, I'm rubbish at it. But, an okay run is satisfying.
I can understand that many people may prefer their other games - however, there is something special about the brutal simplicity of Battle Garrega.

[Furry Fox Jet Pilot]

Everyone praises Battle Garegga and everyone told me it's an excellent game, but personally, I absolutely hate it. I've been trying to play it for a week now after playing it a few years ago and can't for the life of me get to grips with it. I remember struggling even then.

Maybe I just suck since no one else seems to notice the issues I have. I'm finding the game not only unbelievably DREADFULLY boring, but I can't imagine who decided to make have the bullets microscopic and the exact color as most of the backgrounds (stage 1 is the prime culprit). If it's one thing that pisses me off about a shooter, it's when the bullets, the main threat, have poor contrast. I've never died in even Mars Matrix like I die in this and that is a brutal bastard of a game so I'm still stumped between it being me or the game. I can see if I try hard enough, but I focus on one thing and can't see something else. That shouldn't happen. O^O

The control is as stiff as Silver Surfer on NES and the hitbox seems incredibly disproportionate to the amount of bullets also. But, that could just be, I don't know, the bullets just being barely visible most of the time so I don't even know for sure. There don't seem to even be that many. This game was actually why I avoided Raizing shooters for a time before I found Batrider. I love that game.

Maybe I'm just crazy... A lot of people think I should like this and I want to, but damn.

You're not alone, I don't like the game either. The scoring and rank mechanics are excellent, but I personally don't like the boring, bland design and colors. I also do not like the size of the hitbox. The only positive thing I could say about the graphics is the amount of shrapnel detail is great, something that rivals Raiden DX. I think what turns me away from the game is the visuals, it just feels bland. I know people will probably hate on me because they probably think "Oh, he just wants good graphics." Well, that's not the case; the gameplay is ok, but the visuals are off-putting. I don't understand how this game could have taken the top spot in a top shmups list I saw on here somewhere, when there are other games with similar scoring mechanics.

[Special World]

tbh i think garegga is a really good game based on medal chaining and great music.

There's more to it, but those are all i need. They're top class.

[Obscura]

but I personally don't like the boring, bland design and colors.

That's really weird to me; the awesome "rustpunk" aesthetic is definitely a part of why I like it.

I also do not like the size of the hitbox.

Use a C or ABC type ship, then.

[Furry Fox Jet Pilot]

but I personally don't like the boring, bland design and colors.

That's really weird to me; the awesome "rustpunk" aesthetic is definitely a part of why I like it.

I also do not like the size of the hitbox.

Use a C or ABC type ship, then.

Well, everyone likes different things, and I respect that, I am just stating my opinions on this. For me, the Raiden series is my favorite.

[Obscura]

Garegga hitboxes too big, but you like Raiden?!?!

Raiden hitboxes are waaaaay bigger than Garegga.

[Furry Fox Jet Pilot]

Garegga hitboxes too big, but you like Raiden?!?!

Raiden hitboxes are waaaaay bigger than Garegga.

I know that, but Raiden is not bullet-hell like Garegga. So therefore, I do not have a problem with the bigger hitbox. I prefer dodging fast, aimed shots than maneuvering through tight, claustrophobic spaces.

[Paradigm]

I prefer dodging fast, aimed shots than maneuvering through tight, claustrophobic spaces.

I'm detecting serious homosexual undertones here.

OT: The only problem with Garegga is that it takes over your life.

[Furry Fox Jet Pilot]

I prefer dodging fast, aimed shots than maneuvering through tight, claustrophobic spaces.

I'm detecting serious homosexual undertones here.

OT: The only problem with Garegga is that it takes over your life.

Fuck, that did sound wrong. No, I did not mean it like that, and I can assure you that I am straight.

[Plasmo]

Are you sure?!

You might've offended Paradigm by behaving too homosexual.

I like where this thread is going.

[Furry Fox Jet Pilot]

Are you sure?!

You might've offended Paradigm by behaving too homosexual.

I like where this thread is going.

Of course I'm sure. I am straight, and since when does not liking a certain game make you homosexual? It is just a game. I stand by Raiden as the best shmup series ever, and I don't give a fuck what others think.
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[null1024]

Haven't we had this discussion like a billion times?

"How does anyone like Garegga? I can't see shit and everything just seems wrong."
"Garegga is fucking awesome and you should feel bad for not liking it! Also medaling is amazing."
"But, it's shit! I just said why!"
"lrn2play"

even if the words used aren't so silly, this is what it boils down to every time

It's just a damn game. I like Garegga, it looks neat [I really should look into the revision that has not-background colored bullets though, I understand what they were going for, but it does seem a bit silly to have such low contrast shots], and the soundtrack is to die for. Also, trying to play it without medaling is an interesting challenge, because it will eventually completely throatfuck you if you don't pay attention to rank. Trying to play it with medaling is also an interesting challenge, but one I'm not really interested in.

also, lol drama above

[Tigershark]

Was one of the first games I got for the SS when I picked up a Japanese one 3 or so years ago. I think it looks great in tate and I love the music but the game didn't blow me away in the way I was expecting. However, this game really game into it's own the year before last when it was in the forum's scoring competition.

Time for another play I think.

[Special World]

it's 2013 and people are still really worried about looking homosexual on an internet forum

really

[Deca]

I still just...don't understand the visibility complaint at all. If you get killed by shit you didn't see it's not because it was too hard to see, it's because you were flailing too hard all over the damn screen.

Sure they're not retina searing neon balls but they stand out just fine if you know how to look at a shmup screen.

[Obscura]

If you don't have a tate setup, the bullets really are nearly impossible to see.

Even in tate, I still occasionally find myself thinking "wait, what hit me?"

[Eaglet]

Some things you could be doing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sazhEAV8 ... e=youtu.be