Salamander & Salamander 2 (& Life Force)

[Kollision]

Salamander on NORMAL

Kollision - 843,000 - 2-1 - Saturn

[Aquas]

Grats on the 1cc. The game takes a bit of patience, that's for sure!

[MJR]

Well done!

[Aquas]

Well, I've decided I want to clear Salamander 1 and 2... well, I started with 2. It was pretty annoying, but once I figured out how to manage the rank via suicide and the affect that death has on the rank, I began to succeed. Also, getting a rough idea of where to get shield powerups, are they fixed? I'm still not entirely sure about that. Got to the last boss with a life in stock and died about when it started shooting the purple shit. Adrenaline was going nuts at this point and I narrowly dodged the rest of the patterns. It felt like the boss had more health than I expected so I got really damn nervous for a second.

Really enjoy the game though, I'll work on the 2nd loop periodically from now on I think. I'll be working at Sala 1 now.

Salamander 2 (PSP) autofire
Aquas - 546,500 - 2-1 - PSP

[MJR]

interesting stuff you told about rank, didn't consider it before

I think you can always find shield on lvl2, where you go up, you have to kill specific swarm of enemies (of course)

[Aquas]

Yes. I found that if I no-missed all the way up, past the battleship stage. Then the rank got a bit too nutty to manage. There's a convenient place to suicide before the rolling core boss, however. About 40 seconds before the boss (under the last pass), there's a fleet of popcorn enemies that give powerups (including a speed up, I believe) so you can suicide there without too much backlash. Then the following stages aren't so bad, but the rank still piles up slightly in these latter stages. Pretty great tip, if I do say so myself. If I died before the battleship stage I'd just ignore suiciding.

[Aquas]

Salamander - autofire used
Aquas - 863,500 - 2-1 - MAME

Game has some tricky parts, yes, but it's also pretty easy. I'm happy I did this one, though, a real classic and some of the best music in an STG.

[Kollision]

So... what about creating that table for Life Force?

Here it goes, from the Salamander Deluxe Pack Plus on the Sega Saturn:

Kollision - 808,400 - 2-3 - Saturn



Scores in this game are lower because you don't get any points when you collect power-ups.

[Ace9921]

Do you guys accept scores for the US version of Life Force? I just got my best score using that version of the game.

EDIT: Oops, didn't attach the score.

Ace9921 - 1152200 - 2-4 - MAME

Screenshot of the score right after Game Over taken from MAME:



And just to show that is indeed from the US version of Life Force:

[MJR]

US version is fine for me.

And, to celebrate the fact that I was finally able to buy original copy of salamander deluxe pack, I also submitted my own score for life force:

MJR - 460,200 - 1-5 - PS

[MJR]

After many years I was finally able to beat my score from 12 years ago:

MJR - 1,023,300 - 2-3 - PS

happy day!

[robivy64]

Salamander (Ver. D)



robivy64 - 445100 - 1-4 - PCB

[robivy64]

BAH! So close to clearing 1-4. Higher score coming (hopefully).

[robivy64]

robivy64 - 564600 - 1-5 - PCB

[MJR]

Considering the particularly nasty difficulty curve and lack of earning extra lives (deliberate rip off as you got more lives by feeding coins); I see nothing wrong if you practise game first with 6 lives, then start again with 5 when you can beat loop one; and again all the way over until you can beat it with default set of lives.

Of course, to submit a score you need to play with 3 lives. But it is less painful to compete if you practise first.

[robivy64]

Practicing with only 3 lives pushes me to try MEGA hard!

EDIT: Ed Oscuro is higher up on the scoreboard but with a lower score?

[MJR]

Practicing with only 3 lives pushes me to try MEGA hard!

EDIT: Ed Oscuro is higher up on the scoreboard but with a lower score?

sure it will push you mega hard, just remember that after stage 4 youre going to have to deal with stage 5 that will be equally punishing memory test, and stage 6 is even harder

I fixed the mistake in scoreboard, sorry.

[Mero]

Salamander

Mero - 588,700 - 1-5 - PS

[Mero]

I'd wanted to clear the first loop of this but I can't do it so I'll just go with this:

Salamander 2

Mero - 412,600 - 1-7 - PS

[MJR]

I was informed that US and JAP versions of life force are quite different, and weapon order for player 1 and player 2 in JAP version is also different.

Therefore, from now on, all Life Force entrees please inform me which version you played, and which player.

I will then consider splitting the boards if there are more entries.

Also, Ace9921 and Kollision, if you see this, please add the information too.

[Kollision]

Mine was Japanese, player 1.

[MJR]

Okay, I've split the boards for life force now to US and JAP versions

[Limbrooke]

Salamander 2

Code: Select all

RFP              377,700   1-6       Mame

(Ver. JAA)

First time into 1-6, I find dying right before the 1-5 boss is good as far as the speed is concerned as the ship is more manageable at the slower level. I wager if I get into 1-6 only dying once the loop should be secured.

[mathman]

Salamander - 1-6 - 720,100 - PS
Salamander 2 - 1-3 - 197,400 - PS

(edited to remove redundancy from another)
Both these games, at least on the PS version, seem to have a really high degree of randomness to the point where it can greatly affect score and survival. Does anyone care to comment because I have no idea how to "control" this behaviour.

Salamander - mostly covered here (http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2859)
new point: Stage 1 - The number of popcorn that appear is not always consistent. I've reached the boss with as much as 220k and as little as 211k eventhough I get everything but the second speed up.

Salamander 2
1. Extendng on Aqua's point, it seems like none of the power-ups seems fixed. Even at the start of the game, I get a force field or twin laser. Moreso, the number of power-ups don't seem fixed either.
2. No matter how many lasers and options I fire at the Brain Golem's eye, I can't kill it for the extra 100k. Any help on how to do so? (update: I've had mixed success with various weapons other than Ripple)

[saucykobold]

No matter how many lasers and options I fire at the Brain Golem's eye, I can't kill it for the extra 100k. Any help on how to do so?

It's much easier to kill it with the default pea shooter. You can position an option so that it's inside the Golem when it becomes vulnerable, then rapidfire away.

[MJR]

Salamander - 1-6 - 720,100 - PS
Salamander 2 - 1-3 - 197,400 - PS

(Mods - If you want, I can move the text below) ...
Both these games, at least on the PS version, seem to have a really high degree of randomness to the point where it can greatly affect score and survival. Does anyone care to comment because I have no idea how to "control" this behaviour.

Salamander
1. Stage 1 - The number of popcorn that appear is not always consistent. I've reached the boss with as much as 220k and as little as 211k eventhough I get everything but the second speed up.
2. Stage 1 Boss - Killing it gives one of two point values: 11,300 or 16,600. It does not seem like speed or hundreds digit plays a factor.
3. Stage 4 Boss - Of course, we've seen the YouTube video where it doesn't even fire (my current score had this happen - feel free to disqualify my score). This happens to me once in a while. Also, the so-called safe spots don't appear to work consistently.

Salamander 2
1. Extendng on Aqua's point, it seems like none of the power-ups seems fixed. Even at the start of the game, I get a force field or twin laser. Moreso, the number of power-ups don't seem fixed either.
2. No matter how many lasers and options I fire at the Brain Golem's eye, I can't kill it for the extra 100k. Any help on how to do so?

I can doublecheck the behaviour in Mame, however the ranking system might have something to do with this. Meaning, the game will adjust itself accordingly depending what powerups you have, have you died, how much score you got, etc.

Stage 4 boss is sometimes not firing, if you play another game. That one is either by ranking or then it is totally random. It has been mentioned in the strategy section.

[tinotormed]

I see Ace9921's screenshot and he did use P1 for the game.

[MJR]

very well, updated.

[Mero]

Salamander

Mero - 1,424,800 - 2-6 - PS



Lifeforce

Mero - 659,200 - 2-1 - PS - JAP - P1




I'm pleased with the Salamander run, no miss until 2-3 where I lost 2 quick lives, then I managed to make until near the end of 2-6 on my last life (died on the Moai heads).

[MJR]

Salamander

Mero - 1,424,800 - 2-6 - PS


Lifeforce

Mero - 659,200 - 2-1 - PS - JAP - P1


I'm pleased with the Salamander run, no miss until 2-3 where I lost 2 quick lives, then I managed to make until near the end of 2-6 on my last life (died on the Moai heads).

Updated!

That's impressive, congratulations! I think I should pick this up again..

PS. sorry for slow update, I had a hell of a busy week.