Shmup Ticker: What are you playing RIGHT NOW?

[shmuppyLove]

Finallly found Ketsui Death Label for DS.

[null1024]

Started a run of Ketsui for the first time in a month, did absolutely terribly.
Actually, this was my first shmup run this month. I'm so ashamed...

[TrevHead (TVR)]

Been playing Siter Skain's Reflex, while I suck at stage 3 I am growing to like this game more and more, its not so much as a dodge em up as knowing how to ballance using the shield to bouce bullets to start a score multiplayer and shooting to continue the mini chain.

[Rob]

Have been playing a bunch of Strikers 1945 II again. Psikyo were shooting game scientists. Bullet speeds are perfect, level/boss length is perfect, etc.

[RNGmaster]

Have been playing a bunch of Strikers 1945 II again. Psikyo were shooting game scientists. Bullet speeds are perfect, level/boss length is perfect, etc.

too bad the scoring system sucks

[dunpeal2064]

Have been playing a bunch of Strikers 1945 II again. Psikyo were shooting game scientists. Bullet speeds are perfect, level/boss length is perfect, etc.

too bad the scoring system sucks

Well it is Psikyo

I'll admit, I do enjoy playing Strikers for survival every now and then. I think Rob is right that the bullets are at just the right speed to make you twitch play, but it never really seems unfair.

[Rob]

too bad the scoring system sucks

"Scoring systems" are for fools. -Psikyo

All it's missing are boss tech bonuses, but they had to leave something special for Strikers 1999.

[mesh control]

Gave Strikers 1945 II another shot, with all this WWx shmup talk going on.

II usually makes me want to play either 1999, GB2, or DB, but I may stick with it for a bit just to see if I can make it to stage 5.

[RNGmaster]

Same here. You know, Strikers 2 is actually really good. I prefer it to 1999 since the x-36 seems underpowered to me and Tech Bonuses were better-implemented in Dragon Blaze.

[professor ganson]

I may stick with it for a bit just to see if I can make it to stage 5.

If I pick up Strikers II and just want to get to stage 5, I make sure that I don't die with bombs in reserve, i.e. I use bombs more liberally than I would if I were practicing for improvements.

[Siren2011]

Soukyuugurentai. The fun really starts from stage 2 onward. I'm getting a little Garegga deja vu here, in both aesthetics and mechanics (a good example of the latter would be the airship in level two and the small, circular patterns that enemies fire at you in such a confined space-- just like the Factory stage.), which is of course awesome. I really like the simplicity of the scoring system, too. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that past a certain point, power-ups become medallions of increasing value. Another great thing is how a small input "left" could send your ship half a quarter towards the other side of the screen. It adds that claustrophobic feeling that Battle Garegga had when bullets were raining down on you, increasing the tension.

Oh and did I mention that the bosses kick ass? I have yet to come across a single one that I didn't enjoy fighting. My favorite by far is the level 4 boss with giant blue laser cannons on each hand. The "battle satellite" comes in a close second.

[mjclark]

Lu!!! You play co-op with the ghost of your previous runs and that makes for some deep and subtle play.
There's various modes, each one more manic than the last.
Mode L Ultra is off the chain!

[R-Gray 1]

I was playing few minutes ago........Donpachi!! on mame
very nice play again this arcade game, .....this game is like Sonic wings/Aero fighters....grapphics, enemies, the special attack (japanesse pilot)...but is better!!

[opt2not]

Playing Strikers 1945+.

[mouser]

MUSHA on Wii Virtual Console, hunting for Genesis cart

[chempop]

Deathsmiles MBL - lvl999 is fantastic, getting my ass handed to me though.

Gunbird - recently got the SAT port and I think it might just be my favorite Psikyo game of all time. Occasionally making it to 1-7.

Espgaluda Arrange - probably going to give up trying to clear Arrange mode, but if I can get in the top ten scores here I'll be happy.

[BPzeBanshee]

Xeno Fighters R. I've been doing a bit of work on my music mod for it and I just snagged back my old position for one of the stages. Here's hoping I can improve on some of the other stages too.

[RNGmaster]

Eden's Aegis - Fun enough. I managed to almost 1cc Original on my second credit, though, so it's a bit easy even with wait off.

Strikers '45 II - Fuck, Flying Pancake can delete bullets without bombing? Screw you, Hayate.

[chempop]

Just 1-looped Gunbird, first Psikyo clear ever

Thinking what to play next... Might go for another Psikyo: 1945 1 or 2, gunbird 2, dragon blaze, zero gunner 2...?

Or maybe it's time I get serious with Garegga

[RNGmaster]

Thinking what to play next... Might go for another Psikyo: 1945 1 or 2, gunbird 2, dragon blaze, zero gunner 2...?

Dragon Blaze. Do eeeeeeet.

[Rob]

Strikers '45 II - Fuck, Flying Pancake can delete bullets without bombing? Screw you, Hayate.

Have you never used Focke Wulf? Lightning's lv 3 charge can also cancel bullets. I don't understand why people like Hayate. That and Mosquito are the ones I rarely use.

[chempop]

Since we're all blathering Psikyo, you guys have any recommendations for which ships/characters to use for Strikers pt1 and Dragon Blaze? I've been most successful with Sonia, but her Dragon return rate is slow and causing me grief in stage 5.

[Drachenherz]

Deathsmiles for iOS. On the iPhone for my shmupping fix on the go and on the iPad for more serious play.

After getting used to it, The controls work out really good, especially on the iPad. i got the "buttons" aligned on the left side and change the shot with the index finger and the direction with the thumb, as on the phone I have to use the left index for both "buttons", owing to the much smaller screem
N.

But cave did a rally good job there, loving it!

[BIL]

Since we're all blathering Psikyo, you guys have any recommendations for which ships/characters to use for Strikers pt1 and Dragon Blaze? I've been most successful with Sonia, but her Dragon return rate is slow and causing me grief in stage 5.

Quaid is a solid choice if you're just looking to survive the first loop - he's the all-rounder character in terms of speed, power, recall time and meter charge, and his bomb is an instant screen clearer. IIRC the highest Dragon Blaze score on Plasmo's WR list was a Quaid run, too.

[RNGmaster]

Strikers '45 II - Fuck, Flying Pancake can delete bullets without bombing? Screw you, Hayate.

Have you never used Focke Wulf? Lightning's lv 3 charge can also cancel bullets. I don't understand why people like Hayate. That and Mosquito are the ones I rarely use.

Hayate takes care of the trains in 1-3 the fastest, not to mention the planes in 1-5 and 1-6 that besiege the sides of the screen. Makes turrets in Iron Casket's stage easier too. That's why I use it at least. Oh, also homing.

And for DB I'd suggest Ian. His dragon recall speed makes it possible to keep up with enemy spawns from 1-6 on. Bomb sucks, but only time you need to use it is for TB's, so it's not a big problem. His knives also make it easy to keep hitting the coin heads.

[Moniker]

Just got my first (non-doujin) 1CC with Batsugun Special. Used type B and made it to level 7 after finishing first loop. Feels real durn good. Love the game for feeling like a bridge between old school & new, and what a soundtrack.

Not sure what to tackle next, probably one of the Raiden Fighters games.

[chempop]

Just got my first (non-doujin) 1CC with Batsugun Special

Congrats! Technically a first loop clear is a "1-All", clearing it would be a 2-All. Go for a 1CC with normal version since it only has 1 loop, although it's a bit tougher than special since the bomb is proximity based and there is no forcefield.

I agree about the soundtrack, love how each boss theme is different.

[RNGmaster]

I tested out the other ships, and most of them suck in comparison to the Hayate. Sorry, but IMHO that's the best for survival.

[dunpeal2064]

Man, Strikers '45 2 is nuts. I finally got to level 5 today. As of now, I think I like Lightning and Focke Wolf the best. Most of the ships seem well balanced though.

[Moniker]

Congrats! Technically a first loop clear is a "1-All", clearing it would be a 2-All. Go for a 1CC with normal version since it only has 1 loop, although it's a bit tougher than special since the bomb is proximity based and there is no forcefield.

I agree about the soundtrack, love how each boss theme is different.

Thanks I'll have to give vanilla a try. Certainly can't object to more Batsu. Also came close to clearing Deathsmiles MBL 1.1 today. Got taken down by firefly, or whatever the fellow's improbable name is. Need to figure out how to more reasonably up the difficulty instead of going level-1 for all stages, and then suddenly getting shocked by the sudden appearance of bullet patterns in the castle.