Hardest. Shooters. Ever.

[The Coop]

The Touhou series is the hardest, harder than anything Cave or Psycho has ever made. I mean look at all of those bullets and those patterns and those colors. ZUN is a god of some sort for being able to make the hardest games. It's funny how every lousy arcade shmup company is copying him. Not to mention his games actually have STORIES and not some stupid throwaway plot like Don Don Pechi. And instead of stupid SHIPS and AIRPLANES ZUN uses all HUMAN characters that actually look ATTRACTIVE and powerful. You guys don't know anything about hard shmups! I can't even beat Touhou on Easy! That's how hard it is!

*runs away laughing maniacally*

WT flying F was that?

You didn't hear the VZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ of the line being let out, or the bobber splashing in the water?

[EinhanderZwei]

The Touhou series is the hardest, harder than anything Cave or Psycho has ever made. I mean look at all of those bullets and those patterns and those colors. ZUN is a god of some sort for being able to make the hardest games. It's funny how every lousy arcade shmup company is copying him. Not to mention his games actually have STORIES and not some stupid throwaway plot like Don Don Pechi. And instead of stupid SHIPS and AIRPLANES ZUN uses all HUMAN characters that actually look ATTRACTIVE and powerful. You guys don't know anything about hard shmups! I can't even beat Touhou on Easy! That's how hard it is!

*runs away laughing maniacally*

WT flying F was that?

You didn't hear the VZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ of the line being let out, or the bobber splashing in the water?

Ah, got it now

[Momijitsuki]

I was just trying to imitate one of the hundreds of morons on YouTube. Apparently, I succeeded. Don't read too much into it, though I thought it would be obvious with all the bullshit I was throwing around there

IN ALL SERIOUSNESS: I think the hardest shmup I've played has to be Eight Forces. It just isn't fair.

[BIL]

Pity it's utterly hideous.

Ha, yeah... MB definitely has a "DIY Spacefighter" thing going on. Love the "MWOW MWOW MWOW MWOW" noise the max gun makes!

[EinhanderZwei]

I was just trying to imitate one of the hundreds of morons on YouTube. Apparently, I succeeded. Don't read too much into it.

Just like my 'But it has graphics like on NES! I'd better go jerk off on Crysis' gag

[Klatrymadon]

MB definitely has a "DIY Spacefighter" thing going on.

Hehe, I just meant the shot, but aye, the Black Fly itself looks like something that fell off a telephone mast. I love it.

[TrevHead (TVR)]

Zillion Beats on Impossible. Try it.

second that. i remember lolling when somebody on a impossible mode ZB u tube vid commented that he could easily complete it within a week, he never did and half the folk who read it ask him repeatly if hes done it yet

[Dale]

Sengeki Striker is the devil.

[Mills]

There are shumps that are challengingly hard (that doesn't exceed the normal limits of human hand-eye reaction and coordination) and there are those that are just plain annoyingly hard (where you have to play the game like a goddamn robot with no room for error, usually the patterns have blind spots or safe zones). Once i remembered all the titles ive played, ill post here.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Most shmups are hard in my book, but if I had to name particulary humiliating ones, that would be Kyūkyoku Tiger (the Japanese Twin Cobra) and Ibara. Usually even the hardest shmups allow me to feel awesome (when I perform something pretty cool before losing a life, so I can hope for the future performance improvement), but not these two. I do not understand how on Earth I'm supposed to stay alive in Ibara, and Kyūkyoku Tiger was a mere lesson in humility.

I suck at GradiusV still love it but i,m dreadful can,t get past level 2.

A bit late to the party, but... use Type 2 multiple laser. Just saying. You've probably figured it out by now.

[saucykobold]

Image Fight's second loop has some fiendishly difficult checkpoints. For example, take the second half of 2-2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xTZ4jHOWX8

To quote Dilbert's Topper, that's nothing: http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm7682126

I'm guessing the nico clip was tool-assisted, but a legit run probably wouldn't look much different.

[Pirate1019]

Ibara etc.

All I remember about Ibara was that I couldn't tell wtf was going on because I was playing the PS2 version, which is ugly.

[Taylor]

second that. i remember lolling when somebody on a impossible mode ZB u tube vid commented that he could easily complete it within a week, he never did and half the folk who read it ask him repeatly if hes done it yet

Though, there are only two types of comment on shmup youtubes videos. "I could do that," and "Flandre Scarlet is harder."

[Pirate1019]

Though, there are only two types of comment on shmup youtubes videos. "I could do that," and "Flandre Scarlet is harder."

You're forgetting accusations that the run is fake, claims that verts are better (vice-versa), or if they're really classy, comments trashing the developer.

[TrevHead (TVR)]

second that. i remember lolling when somebody on a impossible mode ZB u tube vid commented that he could easily complete it within a week, he never did and half the folk who read it ask him repeatly if hes done it yet

Though, there are only two types of comment on shmup youtubes videos. "I could do that," and "Flandre Scarlet is harder."

missed out the "u must have no life to be able to play as good as u do" read shit like that instantly makes me want to somehow reach thru the net and throttle the plank who posted it. Folk tend to play that card too many times nowadays as a excuse to not do something challenging.

[Udderdude]

MB definitely has a "DIY Spacefighter" thing going on.

Hehe, I just meant the shot, but aye, the Black Fly itself looks like something that fell off a telephone mast. I love it.

You mean some people .. LIKE the art in Metal Black? There's hope for my terrible sprite work after all

[TrevHead (TVR)]

i thiink the bosses ive seen look really groovy love that dung bettle-esk boss

[Klatrymadon]

Oh, I think it has fantastic art direction for the most part. The beetle boss is cool, aye. It has this weird stop-motion-like animation that gives me the fear. I think the thing he's crawling around on is an Opabinia's head, those stumpy things being its eyes.

The style is probably an acquired taste, really. MB and Gun Frontier both have this really distinctive look to them that I haven't seen any game try to emulate or develop.

[BIL]

I would agree MB's graphics can be washed out and / or garish, which would be disastrous in a game with pretensions of gloss (see Thunder Force V). But MB is low-fi enough by design that I don't mind at all. It's a wasted-looking setting full of ugly machinery and weird creatures (often melded to ugly machinery), making even R-Type II look relatively vital. I can dig the persistent grime extending to the sprites themselves a little.

I do love the serene view of the ocean in the ending. Probably the only visual of the game not intended to cause negative vibes and / or ennui. :]

[Obiwanshinobi]

I enjoy Metal Black (simplicity can be pretty cool), but never was especially fond of its graphics (or Darius Gaiden graphics for that matter). Their iconsistency rubs me the wrong way, and Metal Black graphical design relies on arthropods too much, which is rather hockey, especially in games. Seems like for many artists there's no monstrosity beyond a great diving beetle larva.

Or maybe it's relatively easy to animate multi-jointed enemies designed like that? Surely, both games are quite atmospheric, but in my case I think the music does the trick rather than the graphics. I'm not sure why Metal Black is considered some kind of would-be classic around here. I mean, it's not THAT freaky compared to Crying - A Seimei Sensou, Gynoug, Last Resort, R-Type...

[BIL]

It's not a particularly vaunted game on this forum, and it's definitely not universally liked. It's a cult favourite if anything.

Regarding the games you mention, I think you're missing the point about MB. It's not an especially dark or grotesque shooter, but it is a fairly uniquely depressed one. It's more lethargic than anything, unusually so for a coin-op title.

R-Type Final has a similar air... only, it extends to the gameplay as well, unfortunately.

[Pirate1019]

I always thought we just considered it the predecessor of Border Down. I never thought it was all that hot.

[Meyers07]

Lol of the day! The new members certainly add a lot of crap to the forum

The Touhou series is the hardest, harder than anything Cave or Psycho has ever made. I mean look at all of those bullets and those patterns and those colors. ZUN is a god of some sort for being able to make the hardest games. It's funny how every lousy arcade shmup company is copying him. Not to mention his games actually have STORIES and not some stupid throwaway plot like Don Don Pechi. And instead of stupid SHIPS and AIRPLANES ZUN uses all HUMAN characters that actually look ATTRACTIVE and powerful. You guys don't know anything about hard shmups! I can't even beat Touhou on Easy! That's how hard it is!

*runs away laughing maniacally*

You're overstating. In fact, Touhou series, despite being hard, it provides some learning curve for new players. My first Perfect Cherry Blossom session has me continuing on the last parts of Stage 4, while DoDonPachi makes me continuing on mid-way stage 2, Strikers 1945 series also make me the last live before continuing on the beginning of stage 2.

My first session of Perfect Cherry Blossom ends with three continues, while speaking of DoDonPachi and Strikers 1945 series... i can't remember... Ten, maybe?

As for Cave... Seeing the YouTube video of beating Black Label Hibachi.... NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! They are not human and not meant for petty human beings to defeat!

For Touhou... they made you learn from mistakes... the endings make you learn to do better. And the bullet pattern is plausible instead of Cave's penchant for nigh-undodgeable.

[Momijitsuki]

I was being blatantly sarcastic, man. I even pointed that out at the top of the page here.

[clp]

personally i find psikyo 2nd loops to be ball busting hard actually cant think of any shmups ive played that can hand my ass to me in the brutal fashion of psikyo 2nd loops .

[Meyers07]

Yeah right. Psikyo has small bullets blocking your way to escape the barrage. And i'm actually not good at hitboxes except it's marked (like in ABA games' shmup, such as Noiz2sa or rRootage).

I can nominate other, like Battle Garegga (seriously, gray bullets?), it's unrealistic since actual vulcan shells (like i see in top gun and any plane fighter movie/footage), flashes yellow rounds like laser bolts.

[RSmith]

The hardest I've played that come to mind most definitely Metal Black, Border Down, and Progear ohh and before I forget Gradius(series). Any game that when you die you lose all your power ups and start at the beginning of the stage (and checkpoints in later games) with a slow ass ship is hard on my book. Hmm I must suck at horis.

[ncp]

I can nominate other, like Battle Garegga (seriously, gray bullets?), it's unrealistic since actual vulcan shells (like i see in top gun and any plane fighter movie/footage), flashes yellow rounds like laser bolts.

Those are called tracer rounds. They are intentionally modified to be visible, and usually only every 5th bullet is modified in such a way. The other 4/5ths of them are virtually invisible.

The more you know.

[Klatrymadon]

Not to carry on apologising/evangelising for it, but Metal Black isn't quite the same as those games, RSmith! There's very little penalty for losing a life, as the amount of Newalone you're carrying is unaffected and your ship's speed is fixed. It probably seems a little on the slow side at first, but nothing you're expected to actively dodge moves too quickly for it. As Dragoforce said, the game's a memoriser at heart.

[IDA]

I think that people that call Metal Black cheap probably don't know that the front shoot can destroy enemies that come from behind if you are positioned just above them (it is like if you had side pods). Also, enemies that don't die in a single shot, specially bosses, are most vulnerable to level 3 charge and least to level 4. This is specially useful for the boss of stage 3.

The main difficulty is that the enemies fire at totally random times, so even of you memorize their appearance, sometimes you have to dodge sudden point blank shots. Also, the 6-way laser firing enemies from level 5 upwards are very randomized. But I personally did enjoy very much to 1cc this game, it is not so hard as some people here think .