Shmup Ticker: What are you playing RIGHT NOW?

[spadgy]

Today (and yesterday) at Skykid's Seaside Shmup Matsuri 0'11 (pics to come!), I've been playing all kinds of stuff!

Lots of Outzone
Lots of DDPII: Beestorm
ESPrade
DOJ Black Label
Mushi Mushi Pork
Ibara
Homura
Sengoku Ace
Many obscure PC Engine games including Sapphire and god knows what else.
DFK Black Label
R-Type LEO

Probably some others too.

And watching Icarus destroy RF2

Outzone two-player with CHI was the highlight!

[ratikal]

Battle Garegga with Black Zepplin and Touhou 12.

[gum_drops]

Lots of Outzone

/high five

I have been playing a good bit of Outzone today, great game, feels like it was made later than 1990, kind of ahead of its time.

Also playing DOJ and Raiden Fighters 2, I love the intro animation and music on RF2.

I only have one cab and it hasn't been tated in a LONG time so it was nice to finally get to chance to play some boards I had been sitting on for a while.

[spadgy]

/high five
[/quote]

/high five returned

I really want the PCB now! I love the way that playing 2-player allows a real cooperative experience (rather than most shooters, where even if two player does work, you are effectively just playing at the same time, rather than playing together).

[BIL]

^Slightly off topic, but that's something I rediscovered recently playing Shock Troopers with friends - it feels good to really cooperate in a shooter, blasting a baddie that's about to knife your partner in the back, concentrating fire on heavy targets, fighting back-to-back, etc... rather than just wiping the screen indiscriminately. I wonder if Guardian Force would be a good time in co-op... has several run-and-gun traits (ground-based movement, free aiming, obstructive terrain) which seem conducive to real teamwork.

On topic, I've been playing the very impressive Satazius trial (PC doujin by Astro Port). Excellent Gradius/R-Type influenced hori, with a neat item hunt scoring system and some serious fiery destruction (just like their awesome Gigantic Army). I'll be getting the full version soon, later areas look killer (obligatory "shmup snake" detected!).

[null1024]

R-Type. I haven't played in ages, so I don't remember how to get around Stage 3.

[mjclark]

XII Stag PAL release bought complete with box and manual for 99p in GAME in Torquay!

[stryc9]

XII Stag PAL release bought complete with box and manual for 99p in GAME in Torquay!

There you go MJ, you are now officially supporting the shmup industry

PS XII Stag sucks

[EinhanderZwei]

Steam Hearts floppy ver. on PC98 emu... was even going to 1CC and record the score, but the damn floppy-switching glitches prevented me from progressing in the game

[Moniker]

R-Type. I haven't played in ages, so I don't remember how to get around Stage 3.

The blue laser is your friend.

Stage 4 OTOH... Hell's bells...

[Horacechin]

Raiden Trad/Densetsu on Genesis

[R-Gray 1]

Under Defeat on Dc
wow stage 5

[RNGmaster]

Trying out Strikers '99. Can't get the TB on that stupid mantis thing, but game's actually not so bad. Stage 5, in particular, is really easy.

[Sapz]

Strikers '99 too, really excellent fun. By the mantis, do you mean the train boss? You can get that tech by going up through the tech bonus attack slightly to one side of the center - waiting for the attack to leave a gap in the middle will take too long for you to get the kill consistently. If you want a nice, challenging (I think) tech bonus, give 1-7's a try.

[Rex Cavalier]

Radio Zonde

[RNGmaster]

Strikers '99 too, really excellent fun. By the mantis, do you mean the train boss? You can get that tech by going up through the tech bonus attack slightly to one side of the center - waiting for the attack to leave a gap in the middle will take too long for you to get the kill consistently. If you want a nice, challenging (I think) tech bonus, give 1-7's a try.

Yeah, I saw that one - shit looks rough. Not quite as bad as the Dragon Blaze 1-6 TB, though.

[BPzeBanshee]

Papilio. Damn it's hard but looks bloody awesome.

[Rex Cavalier]

Hellsinker

[Moniker]

Damn... I just 1CC'd Raiden Fighters Jet without even realizing it until the victory screen came up. Used Fairy. Well alrighty then!

[dunpeal2064]

Damn... I just 1CC'd Raiden Fighters Jet without even realizing it until the victory screen came up. Used Fairy. Well alrighty then!

Fairy is hax.

[Moniker]

Fairy is hax.

Fairy is Tinkerbell starring Julia Roberts.

[Siren2011]

I just 1CC'ed Harmful Park. While I understand and acknowledge its main appeal (its attractive "cutesy" 2D aesthetics), the game is pathetically easy on normal mode. All of the bosses only take one special attack to destroy (I'm instantly reminded of that Thunder Force installment that was on the PS2, which also had easy bosses.), and the extends come flowing like water even if you're passively collecting gems for score. I love chaining, though. And the laser is my favorite weapon because it can clear the most enemies in one blow out of all the other weapons. I also LOVE the design of the ship you control, particularly it's jetpack stream moving back and forth as you advance right or retreat to the left. Enjoyable overall, despite its flaws.

Though I will say that score attack mode is quite a challenge. I love it even though it hates me.

[dunpeal2064]

Fairy is hax.

Fairy is Tinkerbell starring Julia Roberts.

With a flamethrower.

[mjclark]

XII Stag PAL release bought complete with box and manual for 99p in GAME in Torquay!

There you go MJ, you are now officially supporting the shmup industry

PS XII Stag sucks

Yes- I hope every penny will go to Triangle Service to help them develop their next game, which should be called Flangezeal or something.
And actually XII Stag is like my next girlfriend: pretty and fun, though at this rate XII Stag is in danger of actually becoming my next girlfriend but the thought of neorichieb1971's comment that his PCB's were like his wives still fills me with terror even now!

What with all this PC-Engine fever about I'm currently playing Sylphia to discover whether it's shit or not

[Arcade Legends 3]

I play "Thunder Dragon 2"". In ShmupMAME 3.0 it has 2 FPS of lag. I like the game from before and currently, at a 15"" laptop and using a keyboard, I am on the way to the fifth stage.

[R-Gray 1]

Super R-type....damn no checkpoints!

cho jikuu yosai macross !!!!!!!! snes very nice snes shmup!!

Better I go outside for a while

[null1024]

Einhander and G-Darius.
Haven't played either in a while, I forgot how much I liked them.

[ChainsawGuitarSP]

Super R-type....damn no checkpoints!

Still better than having an abundance of checkpoints with barely any recovery opportunity if you ask me. :V

[Klatrymadon]

I'd have to disagree, mate - zero checkpoints is definitely more of a pain for me. I've had to refamiliarise myself with quite a lot of R-Type checkpoints of late, in preparation for a few 1CCs, and on reflection, they're all a lot more considered and doable than most people think. The only ones I really don't like are in R-Type II's fifth stage, and the original game's seventh stage (and I've nailed the latter, but I haven't yet sussed out how to handle the st8 boss at anything less than full power).

Of course, I've mostly been playing the Dimensions and R-Types versions of those two, which make it a fuck sight easier to practice recoveries in the first place.

[stryc9]

XII Stag PAL release bought complete with box and manual for 99p in GAME in Torquay!

There you go MJ, you are now officially supporting the shmup industry

PS XII Stag sucks

Yes- I hope every penny will go to Triangle Service to help them develop their next game, which should be called Flangezeal or something.
And actually XII Stag is like my next girlfriend: pretty and fun, though at this rate XII Stag is in danger of actually becoming my next girlfriend but the thought of neorichieb1971's comment that his PCB's were like his wives still fills me with terror even now!

What with all this PC-Engine fever about I'm currently playing Sylphia to discover whether it's shit or not

It's because of people like you that the next 'zeal game hasn't been announced
- Hang on, I didn't buy it either