And please don't finish the game with crap scores like 20mill. A one credit clear is of course mandatory.
I'm going to play Ikaruga at other speedrun marathons and have plenty of experience with it already (PB is 30mill). Ikaruga is probably a good choice for a live marathon since it's way easier than most other shooters. At least for me it feels much more consistent in both scoring and survival.
The most practical tips one can give and which account for speedruns and shmups in general:
1. Watch superplays
2. Savestate practice
3. Play over and over again
Simple as that.
I'd go for some easier chains first and leave out more difficult ones. If you're confident enough you can implement the diffcult ones aswell. If you have any specific gameplay or strategy questions I'm all up for it.
Oh and forget about playing it with 2 ships. You won't succeed, that's japanese territory.
