Deathsmiles IIX (Xbox 360) - GoD US/Can/Mex, Platinum JP

[Shuurin]

Well I will agree this game is far easier than the first Deathsmiles, I just 1cc'ed it with rank 3 on the first stage and rank 2 on the rest with 3 life bars to spare. My first Cave 1cc and it only took 5 tries...I'm happy about it but its something of a hollow accomplishment. So yea if someone of my skill can 1cc it, it is a walk in the park for the general people of this forum.

Still having a blast so I don't think it is by any means garbage, just not what some people had hoped for (black label dlc later down the road anyone? ). I could partly agree this might be Cave's way of getting new blood interested and not overwhelmed?

The extra mode was...interesting once through, but except for achievement grinding it is something I wouldn't try again. It was a nice try by Cave, though they could have removed this and focused more on the overall presentation a bit.

Arranged felt confusing, but I only gave it a single dry run. Anyone got a firm enough grasp of this one yet?

I am playing this on my flat wide screen computer monitor using a vga cable and it looks fantastic, the earlier question about the character going off screen does not occur at least with this setup. They only go partly, and by that I mean like for Windia the tip of her wings and a half of her feet, or if facing the other way just her hand holding the wing wand thing does. A nice gap of space still remains between the border of the screen and the hit box. I don't actually own a crt TV anymore I gave it away to a friend so I can't compare them eye to eye.

[Trevor spencer]

This game sounds garbage , mabe i should of saved my cash its pretty useless to me if i cant play in 4.3 on a CRT

[dan76]

Yeah, I can't get over it. My initial impressions are that arcade mode is the only mode worth playing - X mode= too easy, Arrange= ridiculous. So they've screwed up the best version of the game IMO.I have a 4:3 tv... I'm playing a 4:3 game in a little 4:3 box on my 4:3 tv. Stupid. No online leaderboards/replays, can't even enter your initials. Stupid. All these scoring modes that Cave keeps spending time on is not the way forward. Arcade mode IS really good, but they've mullered it in the presentation.

[chempop]

Extra Mode is the puzzle/race game where you bounce your familiar around until you reach the goal. I guess it is a way to get your 3 year old kid to play.

Arrange Mode is actually a lot of fun. As with many Cave Arrange modes, it's all about bullet canceling and keeping yourself in risky situations to get massive points. It's a bit easy if you play it safe, but I think the high scores in this mode are going to take a lot of skill to figure out exactly how to milk the most point.

X Mode is basically the primary version that they spent the most time on. My first few runs with Rosa and Follette were cake, but now that I'm trying it with Windia, Casper, and Supe the game offers a little bit more challenge. Satan Claws is tuff to beat if you don't have enough juice to Power-Up when fighting him.

I think people need to ease up on Cave. I mean, people have been complaining about how their low-rez ports look on HD wide-screens, and now that they made something to maximize that format people are upset that it doesn't shine on standard def CRTs. There is no simple way for it to be perfect on both formats folks.

I'm about to fiddle with my TV settings to try and get my character to stay on the screen. Technically the game has some issues, but I'd be surprised if people weren't enjoying the mechanics, bullet patterns, Bosses, and soundtrack. I'd rate the first Deathsmiles a 10/10, this one I'll give a 8/10 (-1 for graphics, -1 for technical BS).

[Kiken]

I think I ran into another glitch earlier today... I was playing X-Mode, using Supi... I played each stage at difficulty level 2 and skipped the EX stage. Finished off SatanCrows with under a billion points (so I didn't even get the 5th life unit) and only half a life bar left. So a pretty crappy run. Final score? 3.2 billion!?! I did record the replay just because I had never seen such a large bonus for performing so poorly.

[Elixir]

I think I ran into another glitch earlier today... I was playing X-Mode, using Supi... I played each stage at difficulty level 2 and skipped the EX stage. Finished off SatanCrows with under a billion points (so I didn't even get the 5th life unit) and only half a life bar left. So a pretty crappy run. Final score? 3.2 billion!?! I did record the replay just because I had never seen such a large bonus for performing so poorly.

Spadgy reported the same thing, previous page. → http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.ph ... 95#p582295

[chempop]

Played Arcade mode again and I have a different opinion from my first impressions of it along with other random notes.

It plays more or less like the first Deathsmiles.
There is no way to enlarge the screen to fit 4:3, but if you turn the wallpaper off it looks very sharp and clear (unlike playing X-mode on CRT)
No Rank selection, but it is more difficult than X-mode rank 3.
No annoying Suicide Sperm Bullets.
You can't fly off the screen such as in X-mode, this is a good thing.
5 levels, the extra (EX) level and my favorite from the first batch are missing ("E" I think? The 5th one before the fork if you went in order).
Can't select the overpowered characters (Rosa and Follett).

So is it a worthwhile mode? yeah, I think so. I'm over the fact that it takes about 2" off my screen view, I'll just sit a little closer to make up the difference. It looks crisper than X-mode, and the HUD is readable which helps. Cave clearly spent some time making DSX2 a nice good package, they just fell short getting the picture settings the way they should have. Maybe they will learn their lesson and not mess up DDP DFK, if they are the ones to end up porting it.

[Trevor spencer]

It just pisses me off that the arcade game was a 4.3 game and people that actually like cave arcade games probably own a cab and would like to play it in arcade mode on there 4.3 cab

it looks fun here too
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ajss4NFX ... re=related

[spadgy]

I think I ran into another glitch earlier today... I was playing X-Mode, using Supi... I played each stage at difficulty level 2 and skipped the EX stage. Finished off SatanCrows with under a billion points (so I didn't even get the 5th life unit) and only half a life bar left. So a pretty crappy run. Final score? 3.2 billion!?! I did record the replay just because I had never seen such a large bonus for performing so poorly.

Spadgy reported the same thing, previous page. → http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.ph ... 95#p582295

Crap - so my 'high score' might be a bug.

That makes me wonder how many other high scores on the online leaderboard for X mode may or may not be genuine scores. That could be a disaster. Unless there is some massive genuine bonus we don't yet understand?

Onto the scoring. It seems to me that in X mode it's best not only to let your main counter reach 1000 (where suicide bullets start), but to then endure the suicide bullets and wait for your sub-counter to reach 10,000 before you trigger the 'hyper' mode. Am I correct?

[ex.machina]

I finally managed to pick up a coy of the game, luckily I also got the DLC card with it. There are just too many games coming out recently, but I will give this a try later today.

[dmauro]

There is no simple way for it to be perfect on both formats folks.

Yes, yes there is.

(ps, the answer is Arcade mode should be proper 4:3)

[chempop]

Yeah that's true. I guess I was mainly thinking about X-mode. Maybe it's time for everyone to email Cave and demand a patch, because we all know how good they are at releasing one in a timely fashion

[ex.machina]

Hm, I actually quite enjoyed the first Death Smiles game, but after giving this a first attempt today I must admit that I am quite disappointed. I can't say anything about the quality of the 360 release itself (in comparison with the Arcade game), but there are some very poor design choices.

A lot of Cave games are not all too distinct in terms of background/foreground colors, but this one plays terribly. You can barely recognize what's a threat and what is just part of the background. Those pre boss battle animations are also silly and add zero to the game. I think I saw an option to turn them off, but still don't understand this design choice.

There was one highlight though. Those evil looking angles in one of the last levels just rule.

All in all, it's kind of in a class with Otomedius (which isn't a compliment), at least for me.

[dmauro]

You can barely recognize what's a threat and what is just part of the background.

This really worried me when watching gameplay videos (there are houses in the first level that straight up look like they would be barriers), but it's not too bad when I'm actually playing, although I hate when there are guys in the background that you need to lockshot, and they are shooting at you. It takes a few seconds to realize they're not going to die with regular shot. But there's not too much of that and it's easy enough to remember where those areas are of course. One of the bigger problems I have with visual confusion is in Arrange mode I sometimes lose sight of my familiar after shooting it out.

[ex.machina]

but it's not too bad when I'm actually playing

I found it very confusing during my first play, but obviously you will probably get used to it when you play it several times, yes. Well I guess this is pretty much a more mainstream attempt from Cave and they are going into a new/different direction with this game.

Let's hope for some more 360 ports from them this year.

[chempop]

there are guys in the background that you need to lockshot

Man I feel like an idiot not figuring that one out
Thanks

[Phellan Wolf]

Let's hope for some more 360 ports from them this year.

I really hope for a Daifukatsu port. However in a recent famitsu interview they've stated that right now they can port a game to the 360 in 2-3 days. If that is true, I don't know what the hell are they waiting for a compilation of MMP, PS and Ibara Kuro among others.
Coming back on topic, I don't have my copy yet, but I am afraid I am going to regret this buy since the coments from most of the forum is that this port is really bad.
I wish you're just exagerating it a bit.

[PsikyoPshumpPshooterP]

keep supporting garbage like this so DS VIIX will be just as bad and have superior sales numbers!!!

[jonny5]

Yeah that's true. I guess I was mainly thinking about X-mode. Maybe it's time for everyone to email Cave and demand a patch, because we all know how good they are at releasing one in a timely fashion

dont confuse cave with 5pb....

[antares]

dont confuse cave with 5pb....

Cave still didn't patch the screen freeze problems in Futari BL so no confusion here.

[chempop]

^^ which is one of the reasons why I still haven't downloaded that mode.

So I take it no one is going to bother with a high score topic on DS2X... My first 1CC was just shy of 3 Billion, but my second was more like 2 Billion. Any talk as to whether there are bonuses or bugs with the All-clear scores?

[EDIT] Praise the lord, in the game mode selection screen under options>game config you can decrease the size of the width!
Now 360 and Arrange mode are playable without flying off screen. Hoorayy!! Hope this helps fellow CRT users.

[Shuurin]

I don't see why not make start a score topic for the game. Since there is a question to the legitimacy of scores atm, prepare to have it purged/reset if more solid information comes out (like word from Cave about patching it). It sounds like the bug comes from clearing the game with a low score in the first place?

[dan76]

Onto the scoring. It seems to me that in X mode it's best not only to let your main counter reach 1000 (where suicide bullets start), but to then endure the suicide bullets and wait for your sub-counter to reach 10,000 before you trigger the 'hyper' mode. Am I correct?

I'm not sure about this as I think it would take to long to build the multiplier to 10,000. I've been doing this in arcade mode though - plus your multiplier carries over. In x-mode it resets back to zero at the start of each level IIRC.

Starting to get a feel for the scoring in arcade mode. Couldn't figure out why my score was much higher with Lei until I read EOJ's post (she/he/whatever leaches red and blue rings at the same time, building up both the counter and mulitplier). Windia, you have to switch between shot and laser, Supe, I'm not sure what the difference is between her and Windia, except she takes down bosses quicker. Casper - her shot laser is reversed as in the first game - me not like.

The way I'm playing (arcade mode) is to max out the counter and multiplier on the first level, so that near the start of the next level when I first enter hyper mode I'm getting maximum points. The snake level is pretty easy to constantly recharge, as is the mansion level (c?). Also I try to power up/bomb on bosses to take them out as quickly as possible because the multiplier decreases quite rapidly. Hardly using lock shot... keep forgetting the enemies in the background. I've got the the last boss a few times - he's a bit tricky this fella - getting a score around 200mil with Windia and just over 300 mil with Lei. No clear yet. If I've got something wrong please post.

[BulletMagnet]

If that is true, I don't know what the hell are they waiting for a compilation of MMP, PS and Ibara Kuro among others.

A purchasing audience large enough to make such a venture even remotely profitable?

[Kiken]

I don't see why not make start a score topic for the game. Since there is a question to the legitimacy of scores atm, prepare to have it purged/reset if more solid information comes out (like word from Cave about patching it). It sounds like the bug comes from clearing the game with a low score in the first place?

Due to the EX stage boss lock-up glitch, X-Mode (and probably Arrange as well) scores shouldn't be bothered with at the moment (should the glitch occur, you can infinitely milk the boss for score and then commit suicide by physically running into him.. refrain from continuing and submit your score). Arcade Mode, on the other hand, seems perfectly fine. People should definitely submit scores in the existing thread.. just with mention that they're playing the 360 port.

[Elixir]

Does anyone remember the name of that PS1 game that plays exactly like Tsukaima Race? I can't put my finger on it.

[kemical]

maybe the DLC card (DSIII) is for early access to a demo of Death Smiles III ?

[05pro]

As mentioned once or twice Arcade mode isn't up to much due to weird screen settings but 2X mode is great.

"Also I try to power up/bomb on bosses to take them out as quickly as possible because the multiplier decreases quite rapidly." - point blank bosses with shot and they spawn red rings to increase your multiplier

The Option race thing is pointless, fun as an added extra but if only they'd spent their time fixing Arcade 1st:( Buy Astro Taxi and Xmas Astro Taxi on the XBLA indie game marketplace for something similar but much more fun and balanced IMO

2X is ultimately a great game for score runs - not too hard if you just want a 1CC but much harder if you're playing for score, just like DS1

[spadgy]

In the wake of the X-Mode score glitching situation, I've jumped ship to Arcade Mode, and it's such a better game than X-Mode. Certainly tough enough – especially considering the hollow victory of X-Mode, and a far more intense, rewarding experience.

On my 29" PVM CRT, if I set Arcade Mode's screen size options to 150x150 and the overall game options to 130x100 (or maybe I mean 100x130), arcade mode is certainly playable, ad fills most of the screen.

If Cave do add online scoreboards and 4:3 to Arcade Mode, it might well deserve some credit as a decent Cave shooter. I'm enjoying it a lot for now.

X-Mode leaves me just a little too underwhelmed, but I had fun while it lasted.

maybe the DLC card (DSIII) is for early access to a demo of Death Smiles III ?

Can anyone confirm this yet? I'm not going to crack mine until I know it's something I want.

[adversity1]

spadgy, did you play X mode on level 3, plus the amusement park-> castle?

The difficulty there is hardly "hollow".