What's YOUR Favourite level of all time?

[njiska]

Mushi Futari - Stage 1
It's the perfect example of a well done opening stage. Nice enemy placement, loads of freedom to learn the basics of scoring on any mode, great music and on Ultra/God I think it's actually a harder and more enjoyable stage than Stage 2.

Mushi Futari - Stage 3
What can I say, between the quick ramp up in difficulty and the insane amount of slowdown possible the last half of this stage is just all-round thrilling.

Raiden Fighters 2 - Violet Head - Chasing the Train
Holy crap is this stage exciting. The thrill of the chase, the hidden secrets. It just feels like a high energy action scene and I love it. Was the best part of the STGT two years ago.

Crimson Clover - Stage 1
I tend to have a hard time getting into doujins, usually because the feel of a good, tightly designed game just isn't there. Crimson Clover was completely the opposite. From the moment you begin play it feels like a proper game that a team sunk a lot of their blood and sweat into. The art, the music, the enemy design and placement. Stage 1 sells you on the game and like Futari is easy enough to give you room to experiment and get the feel for scoring before hitting the harder stages.

[Aliquantic]

DOJBL 2-5 (with the Arrange track): DFK stage 5 is probably objectively better for the "goddamn I chained this" factor, but it's beyond my skill level, so I have to go with DOJBL instead. And that arrange music is just lovely.

Deathsmiles Castle on Death Mode 3: Suicide bullets everywhere, running around like a maniac (bonus points if you're Casper), and less slowdown than in MBL, what's not to like? It has to be awesome to make up for the dullness of the earlier stages too

Eschatos Final Area: Everything that CaptainRansom said.

Armed Police Batrider Zenovia City: Let's just say I was so happy when I finally managed to get past this stage (the sixth compulsory stage in Advanced course).

Pink Sweets stage 4: That track is just so uplifting, and it meshes so well with the game starting to get serious.

From what I've heard about it, Stella Vanity's final stage should also get on that list... yes, I only play STGs for epic last stages

[Ruldra]

The final stage of Cybattler is so awesome, I planned to record a 1cc of the game just to show that stage. Unfortunately I was never able to beat the final boss.

The subway level in Esprade is really cool too.

[SuperSoaker360]

Perfect Cherry Blossom - Stage 4
The melody is sorrowful and the way the intro kind of kicks in just gives me chills whenever I play it.

Crimzon Clover - Stage 4
So many insane things but this stage just about does it for me out of the whole game. From launching up into the sky and through the clouds, to flying sideways against a beautifully lit sky with the sun in the background right back through the clouds into the depths of a thunder storm.

Hellsinker - Segment 6
The ridiculously long and difficult stage. I still have yet to get past this level. My first experience with it had me entering the stage with one life and fighting for extends the whole way through. When the music kicked in about nearly three minutes in, my eyes widened when I realized that the level had only just begun. The way the bosses appear on-screen along with the music was perfect and I died 15 seconds after the battle began. Such a memorable experience.

RefRain ~Prism Memories~ - Stage 2
Stage 1 goes pretty easy on you and is pretty welcoming but Stage 2 is when the game starts to play at the pace it's meant to be done at. The music (being remix of Blue HELiX from Samidare) starts off with a nice piano up until the midboss.

[Kollision]

Probably Mushihimesama, stage 5

But other contenders are:
Thunder Force IV, stage 8
Darius II, stages A and K
Mars Matrix, stage 4
Border Down, stage 3
Ketsui, stage 5

[jammiejay85]

Battle Garegga - Airport (Nice build up to Glowsquid and the music)
Mushihimesama Futari - Stage 5 (So much going on here and the soundtrack)
Deathsmiles - Castle (So many different enemies here and provides quite a challenge compared to other levels)
Ibara - Stage 6 (Haven't played it but love this level)
DFK - Stage 5 (Great level design and I still struggle with them damn lasers)

I put a few down because I can't really pick one and sorry if this is a poor selection.

[mesh control]

Mars Matrix - Stage 3

Ambient music + lots of moving around. If you don't play aggressively it's easy to get overwhelmed. Chaining the bullet maze section past the gold fountain is exhilarating.
>+1500

Gunbird 2 - America stage

Lot's of coins and one of the games harder 1-4 variation.

[Despatche]

donpachi stage 3

[Giest118]

Another vote for MushiFutari stage 5. It follows the pattern of the rest of the game by just scrolling forward for a while... and then Shen Long arrives and suddenly HOLY FUCK THE SCREEN IS SCROLLING ALL OVER THE PLACE, and you blow the shit out of buildings, tank-bugs, dragon-riding guys, huge dragons, and oh my god it's just spectacular.

Also Crimzon Clover. No particular stage. Just Crimzon Clover.

[Deca]

Raiden Fighters 2 train and Sand Lobster stages. The train is just so crazy high energy and intense, and Sand Lobster is just goddamn massive and intimidating. Makes you feel like a badass when you're tearing it up.

Mushi st3 for similar reasons to Sand Lobster, not quite as intimidating though.

Garegga st4 and Highway from Batrider for the amazing aesthetic and how well the soundtrack plays into it. Garegga st5 is also incredible.

Rayforce st3 for the amazing parallax work and great use of depth with the islands and hatches the mechs rise out of.

[emphatic]

ESPGALUDA - stage 5.1. It's just so much fun dodging going on and satisfying scoring on top.

Ketsui - stage 2 because DAT MUSIC

DDP-DFK BL - Stage 4 for reasons too obvious to explain

Flying Shark - Stage 5 for the perfectly set mode and unrelenting enemies

[ratikal]

Stage 3 of Raiden Fighters 2. Just everything about that stage is amazing. The game should start and end there because that is the games peak.

[O. Van Bruce]

Seems like Futari is quite loved in this forum and I like that

[Deca]

Stage 3 of Raiden Fighters 2. Just everything about that stage is amazing. The game should start and end there because that is the games peak.

No love for stage 6?

[TrevHead (TVR)]

Stage 5 Futari Original

Crimson Clover stages 3 to 5

DFK Stages 4 & 5

RefRain Stages 2 & 3 If only for the soundtrack

Raiden Fighters 2 train and Sand Lobster stages. The train is just so crazy high energy and intense, and Sand Lobster is just goddamn massive and intimidating. Makes you feel like a badass when you're tearing it up.

Still, haven't properly played any of the Fighters games as I was waiting on the PAL 360 release, But I can imagine I would love the train level since its one of the reasons I like Zen Ichi which has a similar stage.


No love for Dangun Feveron / Fever SOS stage 5? I'm not good enough to get that stage but It seems like it would be a rocking stage if mastered

[MathU]

My favorites are probably giant-battleship-assault stages, with Darius Gaiden's Zone M at the top.

[RNGmaster]

About half of the stages from Hellsinker. RW really constantly outdoes himself in terms of stage design.

3 LEAD is just transcendent with the boss attacking you from above the screen and the huge ships on the side to disassemble for giant globs of spirits. Then at the end of the stage you dodge a huge barrage of homing missiles and the Garland System looms larger and larger in the distance.

5 gets my vote as one of the best levels. Just play it, I really can't put it into words. I'm not joking here. The huge numbers of turrets and laser traps in the maze are just so frantic, especially on Adept - I haven't played anything like it.

Stage 4 from Esp Ra.De. Nothing like being swamped by the bullet-spewing trains and ships at the end and somehow surviving. There are so many bullet patterns in this stage that are just fun to dodge.

Stage 4 from Progear. Enemies from all directions keeping you on your toes, the exhilaration of getting the 1-up, and ever-increasing difficulty that culminates with fighting the Kraken (who is just a fun fight) in the sunset. Brilliant.

Stage 6 from Dragon Blaze, just because it is fucking brutal. No matter how comfortable I am with the agme I'm always glad when I do it with only 2 bombs.

[Randorama]

Border Down, Stage 3, on Maximum rank. The stage itself is low-scoring, but the boss is worth up to 25% of the total score or so, if one can implement the right strategy.

A good video that shows how to handle this stage is this.

[PinkSweets]

Mushihimesama - Stage 4:
A perfect stage. The music is enchanting to say the least. Absolutely beautiful. The level design fits so well with the track. The dragons towards the end of the stage are a blast.

Mushihimesama Futari 1.5 - Stage 1:
Not much to say about this one. A very fine way to start a game.

Deathsmiles - Stage 3-2 or B-2 (Swamp):
Really like the atmosphere and the matching music.

DoDonPachi DaiFukkatsu 1.5 - Stage 5:
Love trying to manage a nice chain in this stage.

DoDonPachi DaiOuJou - Stage 2:
I don't know particularly why I enjoy this stage so much, but I do.

[saucykobold]

1-0 in Raiden DX. Very challenging, excellently paced, and endlessly satisfying if you go for all of the scoring tricks.

These levels also give me a warm fuzzy:

G-Darius - Omicron
Gradius II - Stage 1 in loops 2 and up
Image Fight - Penalty Area 1
Lost Worlds - Stage 9
R-Type II - 2-6
R-Type Delta - Stages 5 and 6
Same! Same! Same! - Stages 5 and 10
Sexy Parodius - Special Stage
...and a few dozen others

[DragonInstall]

Espgaluda II BL Stage 5

The level layout itself is nothing too special, but the music and fighting Sesari always gets me pumped.

[Smraedis]

Darius Gaiden - Extra Zone A (and many others) I've always liked how the background changes when the sun goes down
G Darius - Omicron, again liking the background during the stage that I can't clear
Ketsui - Stage 3
Mushihimesama - Stage 4
DOJ - Stage 2
Batrider - Airport Stage
DeathSmiles MBL - Ice Palace

Stage 3 of Raiden Fighters 2. Just everything about that stage is amazing. The game should start and end there because that is the games peak.

No love for stage 6?

I find 6 to be way too annoying when playing for score, where Stage 3 isn't so hard to maximise.

[Randorama]

I forgot about Omicron zone, that's another sweet masterpiece. I still prefer my first choice, though.

[blackoak]

I like much of whats already been said, too, but two personal favorites:

DOJ st3: love the way the game opens up in the sky, and I really like the flow of chaining the first half. The music is some of my favorite, matches the stage so well.

Life Force st6: Mainly for the heroic music and graphics, always loved this as a kid.

[MintyTheCat]

It would have to be Level 4 in Last-Resort on the NeoGeo. The Music, feeling of claustrophobia and colouring resonates well.

I also like a few of the Levels in Axelay such as the Lava Level and the City that you fly over.

ibara has some great Level Design too

[Zaarock]

Rayforce - Stage 4 : This earth isn't what you expect.. + badass music + scary boss with an impressive intro

& Rayforce - Stage 7 of course, but havent made it there myself

Kamui - Stage 4 : You face the huge main enemy armada head on, fight copies of your own fighter craft and finish off with IMO the best boss fight of the game.

Hellsinker - Stage 5 & Shrine of farewell : awesome bossrushes with a lot of variety, the game really sold itself to me the first time I reached them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfOilq_dGqg#t=0m34s

others:

Batrider - Stage 5 & bossrush
Battle Garegga - Stage 5 (cloud)

Border Down, Stage 3, on Maximum rank..

Damn, I need to get a DC to play border down at some point, always impressed by videos of it.

[LSU]

So many... but probably my top three might be:

Mushihimesama Stage 2: While Stage 3 seems to be a favourite so far, I really like the mix of formations of almost Galaga-like swooping popcorn enemies and chunkier insects on stage 2. I also really like the exploits for the plants that open and close - classic risk and reward in action.

Soukyugurentai Stage 3: Starting up in the clouds and descending to ground level throughout the course of the level just feels so epic. Picking off the ground vehicles when you get there with the ground racing by so quickly is so satisfying.

Gradius Maui Stages. Played the original game a lot in the arcades when it first came out and the original Maui stage was just so iconic. Every Maui stage in every Gradius game just feels so good. (Shame on V for not having one!) But really, Gradius games have a lot of classic stage designs... the crystalline level in Gaiden that refracts laser shots... the plant levels in III and IV... the list goes on...

[Vyxx]

Ibara Stage 3.

Of all the shmup Train stages, this one is by far the most memorable & fun.

Also, everyone saying Mushi stage 3, I get the whole "epic" feel of it but for me it's probably my most hated Shmup stage Not te hardest or anything but absolutely zero enjoyment on my part.

[jepjepjep]

I like the Cloud stage in Garegga the best. The graphics, music, and boss rush at the end just all come together.

[Chaos Phoenixma]

I couldn't pick any particular one.


The Eschatos final areas are pretty nice, and so are Judgment SilverSword's final 2.

Ice Palace in Deathsmiles is pretty good, even if I don't really care for the game.

ESPGaluda II has great stages in general. And so do Muchi Muchi Pork, Mushihimesama Futari, and several other Cave games.

Gradius III stage 10 is pretty damn nice too with the opening boss rush followed by the mechanical base with all its traps and other tricks. I've only gotten to stage 6 in full run, but I've played this one through savestates, and it'd be pretty nice to try to take it on in a full run someday. I doubt I'd actually clear it though.

DOJ stage 4 and 5 are pretty fun too when you're just trying to dodge stuff. I wouldn't really be a fan of them if I were to try to score cause then I'd just end up hating the game. That and with how long it had been since I had last played DOJ, the previous time I tried, I couldn't even do a stage 1 chain.