Flying Shark

[Marc]

Playing around on Mame last night, and although the Spectrum conversion of this is one of my favorite games ever, I've never played much of the arcade version. Upon playing properly, the first thing I noticed is the sheer fucking difficulty of it. The bullets seem incredibly hard to see to my eyes, but also the speed at which they're fired, the way you can miss a power-up opportunity completely (how many games allow that these days?), and the way the enemies swarm around the screen rather than lazily hanging about and firing make this seem harder than many of the so-called manics I've played.

Further play reveals that there's a definite 'rhythm' to it, you seem be have to be constantly on the move, and it all seems to fall in to place the longer you play for - I can see this being one of my major addictions for the next few weeks. Just trying to raise some general discussion - impressions, tips, wondering if there are any accomplished players of this on this board, and comments from anyone that played any of the home conversions at any length. Also wondering how Fire Shark plays in comparison to this - I've had in on Mega Drive for years and never put any quality time in to it.

[D]

Playing around on Mame last night, and although the Spectrum conversion of this is one of my favorite games ever, I've never played much of the arcade version. Upon playing properly, the first thing I noticed is the sheer fucking difficulty of it. The bullets seem incredibly hard to see to my eyes, but also the speed at which they're fired, the way you can miss a power-up opportunity completely (how many games allow that these days?), and the way the enemies swarm around the screen rather than lazily hanging about and firing make this seem harder than many of the so-called manics I've played.

Further play reveals that there's a definite 'rhythm' to it, you seem be have to be constantly on the move, and it all seems to fall in to place the longer you play for - I can see this being one of my major addictions for the next few weeks. Just trying to raise some general discussion - impressions, tips, wondering if there are any accomplished players of this on this board, and comments from anyone that played any of the home conversions at any length. Also wondering how Fire Shark plays in comparison to this - I've had in on Mega Drive for years and never put any quality time in to it.

A strange statement but the Spectrum version of Flying shark is the best version. The fighter moves faster than the arcade original, it's more exciting. It's black and white, well black and yellow and thus it speaks to the imagination. the arcade version is in full color, but the graphics are not that hot at all.

The mega drive sersion is like the arcade, little smaller playing field.

Offcourse the Spectrum version being better statement is a bit exaturated, but just enough to erouse interest in that particular conversion. the C64 version looks terrible like the resolution is about 80 X 80 pixels... The Amiga version looks somewhat like the arcade version, but I wish I had all verisons together to compare, I'm not that good though on arcade version. your experience painfully reminded me of my experience

[captain ahar]

umm, was there a Megadrive version of Flying Shark? Fire Shark i know of but...

anyway, flying shark is amazing. i love toaplan, although i expect to be utter crap at their entire catalogue for all time. the only one i can approach is Batsugun, minus all of the silly scoring nonsense. i don't like inputing a fighting move command to trigger a scoring segment.

fire shark is great too, although i've only really put time into the genesis version. and it seems, in general, that Toaplan was very much grounded in having a rythm to their games (and shmups in particular, as that is most of what i've played). look at some of the scoring tables, continuous looping is a very popular goal. and even beyond what others say, give all the shmups a try and see for yourself.

[Marc]

the C64 version looks terrible like the resolution is about 80 X 80 pixels...

I know the C64 had 2 version... Euro, and US; titled 'Sky Shark'. Think both were pretty average though.

[Vexorg]

Flying Shark/Sky Shark (see also: Inexplicable name changes for the US market) is on my list of PCBs to get at some point. I've got Fire Shark for my Genny, and although it's much easier than the arcade version (at least on the defaults) it does also have a tendency to fall into Gradius syndrome (get hit anywhere past level 4 or so and you're unlikely to survive with a non powered up fighter.)

[Andi]

The NES port of Sky Shark isn't bad either. Quite different from the arcade, but comparably hard.

[Xexyz]

Yeah Sky Shark (Flying Shark) on the NES is pretty solid and can be had for peanuts. it still has those hard to see bullets too...

I just kind of get annoyed with the extremely horizontal style viewing area sometimes considering the games a vert. Theres a black bar at the bottom for bomb, scoring, and ship lives status. Yes, it's still tough as nails and highly addictive!

[Lyle]

Flying Shark is not that tough, really. I practiced it some 15 years aog and I used to reach stage 3 at each game. Recently, I almost completed the first loop on MAME after a few tries. Once you've accepted the fact that your plane is slow and ennemy bullets are fast, you'll realize you can handle it. It's not hard, however it does succeed in putting incredible pressure on you. The 1cc quest is IMO way more accessible than, say, for any Cave title.

[yojo!]

yeah Flying Shark PCB is one of the easiest toaplan (along with Slapfight) IMO.I can loop both of them with 1 life on the hardest setting. Once you memorized all the patterns there isn't much of a challenge. If you want a challenge try truxton (PCB). it took me a while to 1CC.

[vtmobius]

Sky Shark for the NES was my first shmup, I still have fond memories of dying.

[dave4shmups]

Playing around on Mame last night, and although the Spectrum conversion of this is one of my favorite games ever, I've never played much of the arcade version. Upon playing properly, the first thing I noticed is the sheer fucking difficulty of it. The bullets seem incredibly hard to see to my eyes, but also the speed at which they're fired, the way you can miss a power-up opportunity completely (how many games allow that these days?), and the way the enemies swarm around the screen rather than lazily hanging about and firing make this seem harder than many of the so-called manics I've played.

Further play reveals that there's a definite 'rhythm' to it, you seem be have to be constantly on the move, and it all seems to fall in to place the longer you play for - I can see this being one of my major addictions for the next few weeks. Just trying to raise some general discussion - impressions, tips, wondering if there are any accomplished players of this on this board, and comments from anyone that played any of the home conversions at any length. Also wondering how Fire Shark plays in comparison to this - I've had in on Mega Drive for years and never put any quality time in to it.

Nice Marc; glad to hear you enjoyed this game! It's the first shmup that I credit with really getting me into the genre. It was one of my favorite games to play down at this arcade I used to go to at my local mall. I love the Spectrum port as well; some awesome '80s new wave synth in that! Too bad it never got an arcade perfect home port; although from what I hear, the FM Towns Marty port is pretty close to perfect. I've played the NES port, and for me, at least, the pace of the game is just too fast compared to the arcade original, although it's not a terrible port by any means.

[aurang]

The x68 port had as good of graphics as the original and it even surpassed it in the music department.

Besides 1942, Flying Shark was my real first introduction to shmups down at the local pizza joint and only a few years ago was I able to beat the first loop.

Best fun I've ever had dying, probably my favorite shmup. The NES and PC versions where tough as nails as well.

[SAM]

Playing Flying Shark is like going through the turrets section of Gunbird 2 in the America stage, like flying through the turrets section of S1945 II Russia stage...

The game keep you on high alert during the whole run. Due to the nature of your shots, you have to get as close to the bullets as possible in order to find a gap to sweep back to the other side of the screen. If you are outflanked by an enemy who still able to fire bullets, you are dead meat.

In Fire Shark, outflanking enemy still very dangerous. But since you got much better weapon, which got a fire arc that is large enough to cover the whole screen. This situation can easily be avioded.

I found the most treating enemy in Fire Shark is those pop corn enemy planes. They are fast, they fire at point blank, they turn around at the bottom of the screen and try to ram you. If you missed one, you are left half of the screen, if you missed two, you have to either go up or drop a bomb. BTW, you even fly slower in Fire Shark without any speed up.

Kyukyoku Tiger is even harder, it got both the difficulties of Flying Shark and Fire Shark. You always start with a stright shooting weapons, and the pop corn enemy planes acts like those in Fire Shark. Plus you are flying even slower...

[FRO]

Sky Shark for the NES was my first shmup, I still have fond memories of dying.

I don't. The NES conversion is flippin' hard. I pull that one out once in a while...when I play it you can hear the blue streak a mile away

[zaphod]

What make sit so hard is the following

1) it NEVER lets up.
2) You can't just keep moving and have all the aimed shots miss. The A.I. knows how to lead it's shots. but it doesn't do it ALL the time.

[Neo Rasa]

That's the "beautiful" thing about all the tank bosses in the _____ Shark games. They have that spread shot that's aimed at you, then that machinegun fire where SOME of the shots lead you.

Ha I have the Sky Shark NES manual right in front of me, it actually says in the tips in the back how it never lets up and you have to never keep moving.

Oh, and "the heavy bomber in level 5 has a weakness."

The weakness is "shotting it eight-five billion times" like every other _____ Shark boss as far as I can tell.

Fire Shark is the worst though for me. SAM I salute you if you can play that game well, I don't think I can even beat the second level without using another credit.

[SAM]

That's the "beautiful" thing about all the tank bosses in the _____ Shark games. They have that spread shot that's aimed at you, then that machinegun fire where SOME of the shots lead you.

Well, machinegun fire is trickly, but once you know how to handle it. The tanks is actually quite easy to distroy. The trick is to stay in front of the tank and doges it bullets as late as possible. In this way, most of the bullets from the tanks machinegun would go stright. Once you doges the complete machinegun brust, you should go back and state at the position in front of the tank.

The most import part of this trick is stay as long as possible on the spot once the machinegun start firing. In this way you could minimize the angle of the spread of machinegun fire.

Try it, it works every time.

Oh, and "the heavy bomber in level 5 has a weakness."

The weakness is "shotting it eight-five billion times" like every other _____ Shark boss as far as I can tell.

Well, does it means the weakness is firing at it at point blank range using auto fire?

Fire Shark is the worst though for me. SAM I salute you if you can play that game well, I don't think I can even beat the second level without using another credit.

Well, it is not the case , DEL trumped me for over 18 times.

http://forum.shmups.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5843

And I think many members of this forum could done that too.

[SAM]

Besides 1942, Flying Shark was my real first introduction to shmups down at the local pizza joint and only a few years ago was I able to beat the first loop.

I just beat the first loop of Flying Shark two days ago.

Opps the game is now set to Hard and I could only reach Area 80 now...