Easy shooters that give you an unusually hard time

[KNekoSpy]

I can reach Larsa in Futari 1.5 Ultra but DOJ BL still owns me.

Also DDP is not an easy game at all unless you're a freak. I only ever 1-ALLed it 1 time and that was from memorizing and no-missing the first 4 stages then bomb spamming through 1-5 and 1-6.

And I bet after all that you STILL got 'Nice try, fighter!' right? D:

[Moniker]

I'm going to echo the opinions of others and say that DDP is not a good introductory shmup. The scoring system is especially grueling and not at all representative of the genre as a whole. I still find it overly intimidating due to early trauma.

Batsugun Special is a much better option, IMO, since most modern shmups find their root there, one way or another. Memorization is useful but not really necessary. Simple scoring based on kills and medal collection. And pigs.

[Deca]

I really don't see how you could possibly say DDP isn't a great introductory game. I wouldn't suggest any new player try too hard to play for score or go all out in an attempt to master the game, but if you just throw them into it blind and have them play for survival for a while it's going to get them used to standard bullet hell shooters. It doesn't have any weird stuff going on with bullets spawning or canceling strangely due to your actions, it's just a bunch of bullets to dodge and probably the most straightforward survival experience in Cave's library.

[Tigershark]

Having never 1ccd a game this could potentially be a long post!

For me though I am disappointed I don't do better in Zero Gunner 2 on the DC as I think the perception is that this one is quite easy. Everything seems to go well until stage 5 and then it all goes so so wrong.

[Moniker]

I really don't see how you could possibly say DDP isn't a great introductory game. I wouldn't suggest any new player try too hard to play for score or go all out in an attempt to master the game, but if you just throw them into it blind and have them play for survival for a while it's going to get them used to standard bullet hell shooters...

I guess this probably devolves down to a matter of personal preference/experience, but I don't feel that DDP really prepares you for any other type of shooter except other cave games. The bullet patterns aren't really like unto any other company's output. I personally found that my skills progressed much faster when playing Garegga, and that's a game that folks universally tell newcomers to avoid; yet I progressed much more steadily in that, and I feel the skills transferred over to Psikyo, Seibu, &c.

Before I start to sound like a certain Dr. Shitpants, I must point out that I don't think that cave games in general or the pachi series in particular is unfair or unenjoyable or anything. I just feel it's very specialized, even as a survival experience. YMMV. I'm not overly experienced with shmups in general, but I feel I'm an exceptionally well-versed in being a novice.

</offtopic>

I'm also rubbish at DDP.

[Deca]

Oh don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to hype up DDP here. Of the big devs Cave is probably my least favorite. Saying that it prepares you for other Cave games counts for more than you're giving it credit for. A lot of people, especially those just getting into the genre, pretty much see Cave as THE company and only really think of their games when it comes to shooters.

Whenever someone asks me for shooter recommendations or how to get into the genre, I usually point them at big names from each company just to see what style they like the best. My personal must-play shooters for any beginner are DoDonPachi, Battle Garegga, Strikers 2 or 3 and Mars Matrix.

[Chirpy13]

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[Mortificator]

Batsugun Special is a much better option

I agree. Though as Dragoforce often says, it's practically a Cave game.

As far as the thread topic, Gradius II NES gives me more trouble than Gradius IV. I'll blame this on my not actually liking any version of Gradius II.

[Age of Kings]

MushiFutari Original, both 1.5 & BL. Stage 3 in particular shits all over my face. I've been practicing the first loop of Ketsui lately, and I find it easier (shoot me if this is a poor comparison of difficulty).

[Limbrooke]

I suppose Thunder Force 4, if anyone suggests it's easy. Hyper Duel too rubs me the wrong way and I can never make any progress: to that end I conclude it's a turd. Also, Thunder Force AC gives me trouble often.

[stryc9]

MushiFutari Original, both 1.5 & BL. Stage 3 in particular shits all over my face. I've been practicing the first loop of Ketsui lately, and I find it easier (shoot me if this is a poor comparison of difficulty).

That is kind of strange, as Mushi Original, esp. BL, is considered one of CAVE's easier 1CCs, whereas Ketsui (Arcade, not X Mode) is regarded as fairly bloody difficult.

I'll wager that the part that is giving you grief on stage 3 is the run up to the boss with those funny slater things that roll onto the screen and crisscross the playarea with those elongated pink bullets, and possibly the boss itself.
for that first part, at least with Reco, and if you don't mind potentially dropping some score, just tap dodge thru while using focus shot exclusively and you should be causing enough slowdown to make the area manageble, even with the counter on 9999. Reco's options home in so you can just sit there and concentrate on dodging the ensuing bullet spreads. The last thing you wanna do thru this section is use normal shot as the enemy bullets are too fast.

The boss is only an issue because it takes a while to go down, but you will find all it's patterns managable except for it's final pattern. Bomb before the fight to lower the counter from 9999 if it is there. If it's any consolation, I find level 4 easier (boss as well, it dies quicker ) and level 5 is just basic bullet herding + bomb the shit out of the last boss. I hardly had to touch the joystick in level 5 - just keep adjusting your position with small taps to herd and try not to blink too often

[Gus]

Stage 3 in 1.5 Original is easy. It pretty much just comes down to knowing where everything spawns and killing it before things get too dangerous. Might save some time to watch a few replays and see how they handle the stage. Also if you're playing just to 1cc it's probably a better idea to use Abnormal Palm as his laser takes bosses down way faster and his speeds are better for dodging. Hell, unless you're really good at surviving with Reco it might be a better idea to use Palm period as you won't dig into your stage counter as much with deaths and bombs.

[Age of Kings]

I use Abnormal Palm in 1.5 and Reco in BL. I played stages 4 and 5 in credit feed runs and I also found them easier than stage 3. I didn't continue once between the beginning of stage 4 to Larsa on my first try if you can believe that. Sidestep the waves of popcorn enemies, focus shot the larger enemies to cancel bullets, and I'm on my merry way. The stage 5 miniboss in particular was insultingly easy because of the slowdown. In comparison, I'm still somewhat shaky with stage 2....there are some times where I can croak to a random tiny pink bullet, or one of the bat ray things coming up sooner than I expect. I'm studying Korszca's 1cc run on Youtube right now and I think my main problem is that I consistently get myself into bad positions on the screen because I'm a little paranoid of that stuff.

Thanks for the tip, stryc9! I'll try that on my next run.

[Zengeku3]

I am terribad at any shmup that doesn't allow you to slow down your movement speed.
Also. I'm cock at DOJ. Not that I see a lot of people call DOJ easy. Its just a lot harder than it looks imo.

[Skykid]

Darius Twin. People say it's laughably easy but I can't even get to the first boss.

People say it's laughably easy?

Well I guess that's my easy game that gives me a hard time then, I struggled to get off the first stage. I suppose I'm just not very well versed in Darius...

And who to the dude who put RFJ down, if that's an easy shooter show me a tough one!

[chempop]

I can reach Larsa in Futari 1.5 Ultra but DOJ BL still owns me.

Quackery!

[Bananamatic]

Darius Gaiden

harder than Ketsui, even with autofire

[evil_ash_xero]

You know, the first thing I thought when I saw this thread was "easy girls that give you an unusually hard time".

Now THAT I have experience with. Sadly.

[Bananamatic]

You know, the first thing I thought when I saw this thread was "easy girls that give you an unusually hard time".

Now THAT I have experience with. Sadly.

I've got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one

Chaining...chaining, that's shit though
To this day, I cannot get on the dodonpachi scoreboard

[ChainsawGuitarSP]

Darius Gaiden

harder than Ketsui, even with autofire

Maybe that constant wall of death of yours is also blinding you from being able to see what's headed directly for you...? that's the best reason I can think of. It's actually happened to me a few times with Double Dealer-N and Prickly Angler. (Stupid flashy backgrounds...)

[Subterranean Sun]

Raiden II.

[Naut]

anything horizontal

x2

[hermosaguy]

Trizeal. For some reason, I just get my ass handed to me in the third stage. Maybe I'm just not patient enough with it.

[gs68]

Gradius 1. Dying even once especially on stage 3 or the final stages means you may as well take the nearest .45, and fire it into your own skull.

[Zengeku3]

anything horizontal

x2

x3

[Hagane]

Darius Gaiden

harder than Ketsui, even with autofire

Kill stuff before it can shoot. Works for 90% of the game. The game does have some really hard bosses though. But you can get around that by picking an easier route. I'm not a very good player and I'm close to an 1cc after less than ten hours with it. Just try to stay powered up at least with the green wave thing. It can kill enemies through walls.

On topic: Espgaluda. Can get to stage five consistently but I have a hard time from there, especially at the last boss, I can never beat its last form.

[dunpeal2064]

Raiden II.

People consider this easy? yikes. I have an easier time with the RF series (granted, I use fairy whenever I want to get far )

[ZengarZombolt]

Judgement Silversword.
On easy.
orz

[Sturmvogel Prime]

Sky Shark on the NES.

[Marurun]

Super Earth Defense Force. The game is easy as crap if you just use the homing weapon the entire time, but that gets boring really fast, so boring that by the later stages I start to randomly get hit from not paying attention.