GD: Shikigami no Shiro III / Castle of Shikigami III

[Momijitsuki]

I just got this game for the Wii, and I have to say it's pretty fun. However, I also have to say I don't exactly understand the mechanics of scoring-- what's the best way to get a really good score in Shikigami no Shiro III? Like, who's the best character to use, which shikigami type, when to bomb, when to use the Max High Tension, etc.

Thanks in advance!

[kengou]

A lot of answers can be found in the Shiki II thread(s), but I too am curious about when to use max high tension since that's the major change in this game.

[Zebra Airforce]

You'll probably notice large periods of time in each stage where few bullets are shot onscreen when playing aggressively. Use a HTMax during these slower points.

Something you might not have noticed is that coins are multiplied by your tension as well, so if you use it during bosses the coins you gain will be worth x8, whereas many patterns are cancelled when a segment of the boss' lifebar runs out. Bullets are left onscreen by some patterns, so it might not be worth it? I haven't investigated deeply into this yet.

Icarus sez killing yourself for more bombs is worth it, so I figure bosses must be part of the equation.

As for char/shiki, just try them and see which one you like. Kuga 1 is the least wonky and is probably most people's preferred char.

[Momijitsuki]

Well, so far my favorite is Nagino Ise Type 2, mainly because of the bullet canceling and the spread shot. Kuga is nice too, but it seems kind of boring when you make Sayo do all the work while you just dodge the bullets. I like Emilio Type 1 too.

As for boss battles, is it better to use your normal shot or is it better to use your shikigami attack?

[Zebra Airforce]

I also like that spread shot. I'm figuring that will by who I make my 1st 1cc with.

The idea behind using Kuga is that you can get a fair amount of points without a huge time investment in memorizing patterns. It should be easy to reach variable extends even for green players. I'd wager that the best scores are done with the more difficult characters.

Shot vs Shiki - Entirely dependant on your playstyle. Alot of characters have a significant disparity between shot and shiki power, so getting a high tension kill on bosses will require you to learn the potential damage each one can deal and adjust accordingly.

[kengou]

If you know you're getting an extend very soon, it is worth it to kill yourself just before the extend because you get an extra bomb on every extend but you cannot exceed a maximum of 3 total lives in stock. So if you're at 3 lives, and get an extend, nothing happens at all. If you are at 3 lives, suicide down to 2, then get the extend, you're back to 3 lives but with an extra bomb.

I did this in Shiki II but in III extends seem a lot more plentiful to me so it's a bigger deal

[gabe]

I just picked this up for $19.99 at Game Stop, and am currently mildly obsessed with it. I've come up with a few questions:

Is there a difference between Arcade and Director's Cut? If so, what?

After playing for a while, I noticed I suddenly had unlimited continues. No options were changed, and I couldn't seem to change it back (I like having a set number of continues until I can 1cc the game - it give me a gauge on my progress). I ended up deleting my game-save to remedy the problem, but does anyone know the trigger? Did I "unlock" something?

Would anyone care to elaborate on the functionality or effectiveness of Munchausen's bomb?

[gabe]

Alright - no one seems to know the answers to my previous inquiries... So I suppose I will contribute to this thread in other ways.

So far, I've been able to get the highest scores with Kohtaro Tyoe 1. My general strategy with this character has been to let Sayo do all of the dirty work, while I graze every bullet possible with Kohtaro.

Roger Type 1 has been my favorite because of his powerful Shikigami attack which makes quick work of bosses. His regular attack is not particularly impressive, but he is a quick character, which makes dodging bullets much easier.

Nagano Ise does indeed have a nice spread, but all of her attacks seem pretty weak, and she is a rather slow moving character... I'd rather use Reika.

[steveovig]

Can anyone let me know how exactly to stop the 2-2 boss in his second form? He always takes away my main shot for a little while, is there any way to prevent this?

[gabe]

Can anyone let me know how exactly to stop the 2-2 boss in his second form? He always takes away my main shot for a little while, is there any way to prevent this?

The attack can not be dodged, and it's effects are different for each character. I know that Kohtaro (Type 1) and Roger (Type 1)'s shikigami attacks are still effective. The other option is to just wait it out, and dodge bullets.

I know this topic is covered in some of the later pages of this thread:
http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?t=6287

[Kiken]

If you know you're getting an extend very soon, it is worth it to kill yourself just before the extend because you get an extra bomb on every extend but you cannot exceed a maximum of 3 total lives in stock. So if you're at 3 lives, and get an extend, nothing happens at all. If you are at 3 lives, suicide down to 2, then get the extend, you're back to 3 lives but with an extra bomb.

I did this in Shiki II but in III extends seem a lot more plentiful to me so it's a bigger deal

Constantly suiciding is not a very smart tactic as it destroys your coin multiplier (dropping it back down to 100 from its max of 10000). Your main focus should be on using your Overdrive more. You shouldn't need more than 2 or 3 bombs in stock at any given time. Each time you gain an extend, regardless of the number of life blocks you have, you gain a bomb (you can even see the individual blocks refilling as you gain score).

[gabe]

Constantly suiciding is not a very smart tactic as it destroys your coin multiplier (dropping it back down to 100 from its max of 10000). Your main focus should be on using your Overdrive more. You shouldn't need more than 2 or 3 bombs in stock at any given time. Each time you gain an extend, regardless of the number of life blocks you have, you gain a bomb (you can even see the individual blocks refilling as you gain score).

True - but it is still a valid strategy if you are playing for survival.

[Kiken]

Constantly suiciding is not a very smart tactic as it destroys your coin multiplier (dropping it back down to 100 from its max of 10000). Your main focus should be on using your Overdrive more. You shouldn't need more than 2 or 3 bombs in stock at any given time. Each time you gain an extend, regardless of the number of life blocks you have, you gain a bomb (you can even see the individual blocks refilling as you gain score).

True - but it is still a valid strategy if you are playing for survival.

Only in the first two or three levels. I most certainly would not want to suicide at all in stages 4 or 5. Life units are far more important in those later levels.

[8 1/2]

Constantly suiciding is not a very smart tactic as it destroys your coin multiplier (dropping it back down to 100 from its max of 10000). Your main focus should be on using your Overdrive more. You shouldn't need more than 2 or 3 bombs in stock at any given time. Each time you gain an extend, regardless of the number of life blocks you have, you gain a bomb (you can even see the individual blocks refilling as you gain score).

True - but it is still a valid strategy if you are playing for survival.

Only in the first two or three levels. I most certainly would not want to suicide at all in stages 4 or 5. Life units are far more important in those later levels.

Though is does lessen the rank a bit. Plus, before you get to the final boss it gives you such a huge score boost that it might as well just give you full lives and full bomb stock for the final battle with all the bonuses you get. Basically, to 1CC the game you just need to get the final boss, and the rest is pretty much given to you. If you're down a few bombs, but have your three lives then I think it's valid to suicide at pretty any point in the game. It's easy to keep an eye on the little meter at the bottom too to know just when to do it. I often like to give up one on the stage 4 mini-boss just to make sure I have two bombs for the boss when he does that pattern where he shoots around the edge of the screen and fills the center with bullets.

[Kiken]

I often like to give up one on the stage 4 mini-boss just to make sure I have two bombs for the boss when he does that pattern where he shoots around the edge of the screen and fills the center with bullets.

Actually, that pattern is fairly easy to dodge. It's very reminiscent of the stage 3 bosses' spiral pattern in Shiki 2.

The boss always moves to the upper-left corner to begin the pattern. I find that starting about 1/4 screen length up and to the right of the lower-right corner is a good place to start. As the boss makes his first move across the top of the screen to the right, move left. Then move straight up above a third screen length. Next move right about a third screen length, then down a third screen length and finally left a third screen length. Just repeat. Whichever character you're using will, of course, change your boss kill time, but the pattern is fairly straightforward. Just practice it some.

[8 1/2]

Yeah, I should have probably tried a bit harder than just bombing my way through, but the game is so generous with the bonuses I didn't actually NEED to try harder, hence my lazy way out. I was able to get the clear pretty quick, and while I liked the game, it didn't inspire me to keep playing after the 1CC was in the bag.

[Wyrmnus]

So I want to 1CC this game. What would be the best character to use for a safer 1CC. Farthest Ive gone so far was the Stage 3 boss.

[M.Knight]

Reika 1 would be your best choice. Her Shikigami attack is not difficult to use and her time-stopping, bullet-canceling bomb is quite useful.
Nagino Ise has a shield and Kim Mihee has a very wide shot, but it will be a bit harder to score with them so you may have less extends during a run. That said, Nagino 1 can make some of the later stages much easier and the extends are not a problem if you never get hit. (You can only have three lives at best, but the extends are numerous)

If you have the Wii or 360 port, you can also try the Dramatic Change Mode that allows you to switch between two pre-selected characters at any moment during the game. For example, you can use Reika or Nagino for the stages and switch to Roger Sasuke to speed-kill most bosses.

[Wyrmnus]

Is this Dramatic Change mode availiable on the PC version?

[M.Knight]

If I mentioned the Wii and 360 versions, it is because this Dramatic Change Mode is unfortunately not available on the PC version.
Compared to the previous games' PC ports, this one is more bare-bones : no replay feature and no picture gallery for instance. It was ported by CyberFront while the two other games' PC ports were taken care of by another company whose name I can't remember.

[Wyrmnus]

Status update; Reached Kaguchi ( The Stage 4 boss ) using Reika. She is not very useful. Bullet patterns from even the normal enemies.. ON FUCKING EASY DIFFICULTY.. are proving to be a problem. This must be one of those rank type games, where its a 'Lets turn it up a notch, whether you like it or not' situation

Forgive me. I'm trying to hold myself back from raging on the keyboard.

[M.Knight]

Hum...the stage 4 cranks up the bullet density so if it is a bit difficult, I think it is normal. However, as far as I know, there is no rank in the game so you don't have to worry about it.

The spike in difficulty might be frustrating but look on the bright side : you made it to the stage 4 boss while you were previously at the stage 3 boss. It is a nice improvement.
By the way, if you shoot (rapid-fire or tap the fire button) during Reika's bomb that stops time, you can erase the bullets on screen, which can also help you empty the boss life bars faster.

You should give Nagino Ise 1 a few tries if you don't feel comfortable with Reika. Her shield proves to be very useful for survival, but I fear getting past the stage 3 walls will be a bit harder.