Shmup Ticker: What are you playing RIGHT NOW?

[Captain]

Almost broke 10k spirits in Hellsinker, thanks to above average performance on Shrine of Farewell. I have the early stages down pat, but Perpetual Calendar is far more troublesome than he needs to be (though LUNA is much much easier for some reason).

Died on Apostles of the Seed. Maybe if I used Minogame I could do better in survival terms.

Buddy, SOL is twice as easy as LUNA.

[Chaos Phoenixma]

Still working on Judgment SilverSword Normal mode with default ship. I just managed to break the 70 million which is nice, but I'm still not satisfied with the score even though it's #1 for this ship on this difficulty on the 360 Eschatos release leaderboard because I had all sorts of mistakes.

I'm not even sure what the records for this game are like on the Wonderswan release to compare to either.

[ProcoTaito]

Currently playing Silpheed (Sega CD) and Silpheed TLP (PS2).
Not a bad set of games, really.

[Vyxx]

Currently playing Silpheed (Sega CD) and Silpheed TLP (PS2).
Not a bad set of games, really.

I remember buying Silpheed TLP on the PS2 on a whim for $5 at Walmart. Decent game really, but with the massive PS2 shmup line up (if you count imports) it hardly gets any mention at all sadly.

[Moniker]

Started playing Harmful Park more earnestly. I think setting it to easy for a few runs was a good move - allowed me to come to grips with the shot types and general visual insanity. I like how a lot of the bullets & bullet patterns have parabolic paths as if there were downward gravity. Don't see that too often.

[CHI]

Been playing Muchi Muchi Pork casually at Casino Arcade lately just to get use to it... BIG wall, stage 4 Boss
After watching Sir Icarus play ESPrade, i'm beginning to like this game, never played it before, not as manic but still fun, the score system is understandable...
Again, after ICR has battered my score on DariusBurstAnotherChronicle, i am left wounded
New Western Hi SCOAR! I'll be taking that title back

[chempop]

^Pork stage 4 boss is rediculous, makes me not want to play the game
Rade's scoring took me a little while to get the timing down, but is really fun. A little too easy to clear for my tastes though.

I'm struggling with DOJ. Black Label I've 1-alled a few times, but vanilla is kicking my butt. I'm terrible at scoring in either mode, but it's a great one even for survival, probably my fave in the series. On e I clear it I'll be back to Dimahoo, trying to reach 10mil..

[CHI]

^Pork stage 4 boss is rediculous, makes me not want to play the game
Rade's scoring took me a little while to get the timing down, but is really fun. A little too easy to clear for my tastes though.

I'm struggling with DOJ. Black Label I've 1-alled a few times, but vanilla is kicking my butt. I'm terrible at scoring in either mode, but it's a great one even for survival, probably my fave in the series. On e I clear it I'll be back to Dimahoo, trying to reach 10mil..

Well i've been beating the stage 4 boss more then before, just need to refine curtain bullet patterns (random second form)... and of course having a couple of extra lives in stock helps

ESPrade is pretty simple, bubble onto the large enemies and killing it with shot...

I hate chaining... so no comment on any DDPs...

Have not played Dimahoo, i've heard it's hard as nails

[Gus]

Currently busting my ass trying to copy Espgaluda 2 strategies from superplays as closely as possible. Not going so well so far.

[TrevHead (TVR)]

Since stopping smoking I finally have the motivation to get back into playing shmups seriously.

Playing Futari, mostly original WL, god I suck! I seem to have picked up some bad habits playing DFK 1.5 (and other shmup casual play) with regards to making each life & bomb count

[O. Van Bruce]

Scoring in Hellsinker is so much fun

3.351 spirits by the end of stage 2... well, with some errors...

Let's see if I can get 4000 spirits consistently before proceeding to stage 3.

I still don't understand how Terra works though... wanna get the Shrine of Farewell after stage 7 T-T...

[RNGmaster]

You lose 50 or so Terra after every stage, and about 10 per autobomb or death. Grabbing extends or immortalities raises terra. I always take 3 Behind so I can kill the squid for terra - it gets me to about 220 if all goes well and that is enough to trigger Shrine after 7th.

[O. Van Bruce]

You lose 50 or so Terra after every stage, and about 10 per autobomb or death. Grabbing extends or immortalities raises terra. I always take 3 Behind so I can kill the squid for terra - it gets me to about 220 if all goes well and that is enough to trigger Shrine after 7th.

But you lose the potencial to get over 4000 spirits on stage 3 lead D:

[Zaarock]

Not dying or autobombing at all might just do it though(should from what I remember), and give the most possible score because of how much spirits immortality bonus can give you

[BarfHappy]

deathsmiles... to death xD Ahaha

[Illyrian]

deathsmiles... to death xD Ahaha

Remember to try and loop it by activating suicide bullets and not bombing before the Tyrannosatan fight.

[RNGmaster]

I'm done. The whole game feels like Crimzon Clover - it's just a bunch of floating around with no sense of risk because you have too many fucking lives and can activate invulnerability every 10 seconds. And the TLB is oddly a let-down.

To be fair it also has this amazing mystique but I'm not sure it succeeds all that well as a video game. Ah well, Eden's Aegis next I think.

[Captain]

RNG, the final boss is only a letdown if the satisfaction meter is at level 3.

Try the level 1 and 2 versions.

[Gus]

RNG, go back trying to 2-ALL Dragon Blaze. It is your destiny.

[Zaarock]

I'm done. The whole game feels like Crimzon Clover - it's just a bunch of floating around with no sense of risk because you have too many fucking lives and can activate invulnerability every 10 seconds. And the TLB is oddly a let-down.

Try playing with Adept instead of Solidstate(easymode), with Adept you won't have autobomb or an aura to cancel bullets (not sure if fossilmaidens weapons can still cancel). I guess the game should punish bombing more. I actually fought the TLB without knowing the aura cancelled most of the shots so I just tapped shot with kagura 3 all the time but still got through :p

edit: wait, looks like it's just neutral aura that is removed in Adept.. meh.

[O. Van Bruce]

Hellsinker isn't made to survive, but to do score on it. the more you look for possible scoring tricks, the more you get in a dangerous position.

And you didn't make an item scoring run. That way it should feel like a medalling game.

PD: About the TLB, it's only there to blast your score to space. You can get +35.000 spirits only on the last stage, most of it from the TLB.

RNG, the final boss is only a letdown if the satisfaction meter is at level 3.

Try the level 1 and 2 versions.

Specially level 2 (Glitched Kalleidoscope) with maximum Stella

Edit: I won't stop playing fr score until I get a +80.000 spirits run. I know I can do that. And when the manual is translated, I'll try an item scoring run.

[RNGmaster]

Hmm, perhaps it wasn't appropriate to frame it as a gameplay complaint. I stand by what I said about difficulty (though Way of All Flesh would probably be fun on Adept) but when I beat the game it just felt... odd. Partially I just felt kind of depressed when I finished, like I had finally played through all the content (including the extra stages) and there was nothing new, no more huge surprises.

You might ask "Why don't you just start improving your score? It's not logical of you to say that you're done with a game when all you did is ALL it." Well, here's the thing. One of the most disturbing things about shmups to me is how they turn the most over-the-top, crazy setpieces into matters of boring routine. I've played Dragon Blaze for such a long time that I don't even register the fact that I'm shooting a FUCKING DRAGON into the FACE of a giant idol - I just look at the falling coins and try to remember my positioning. That's kind of depressing, huh?

Hellsinker is full of crazy setpieces like this, and as odd as it sounds I don't want to ruin them and take away their novelty by trying to play the game seriously. I beat the score benchmark I wanted to (25000 spirits), saw almost all the secrets, pulled off crazy score stunts, and generally had a good time. If I try to start scoreplaying, I'll be ignoring the whole aesthetic value and atmosphere of that crazy TLB, trying not to focus on the frantic pumping music, just so I can keep shooting at its center.

Now perhaps I'm overthinking this, but I've made up my mind.

Uh, playing Radio Zonde right now. Just have to nail Stage 8 and I'll have cleared all the levels!

[O. Van Bruce]

Heh... I know that feel... It happened to me with Imperishable Night. Everything was about position and bullets in the end.

But isn't that like, just the normal path? I mean, you enjoy the atmosphere and characters and when you are fond enough of the game you start trying to score and forget about the aesthetics? you should enjoy the aesthetics outside of the game and the gaeplay while playing it.

Anyway, I've been playing Hellsinker for a year now and the impression it left on me is still there. The game is so original in its concept that I doubt I'll ever "forget" about it.

When the translation patch comes out I may even start preaching the gospel of Hellsinker XD

[Gus]

Hmm, perhaps it wasn't appropriate to frame it as a gameplay complaint. I stand by what I said about difficulty (though Way of All Flesh would probably be fun on Adept) but when I beat the game it just felt... odd. Partially I just felt kind of depressed when I finished, like I had finally played through all the content (including the extra stages) and there was nothing new, no more huge surprises.

You might ask "Why don't you just start improving your score? It's not logical of you to say that you're done with a game when all you did is ALL it." Well, here's the thing. One of the most disturbing things about shmups to me is how they turn the most over-the-top, crazy setpieces into matters of boring routine. I've played Dragon Blaze for such a long time that I don't even register the fact that I'm shooting a FUCKING DRAGON into the FACE of a giant idol - I just look at the falling coins and try to remember my positioning. That's kind of depressing, huh?

Hellsinker is full of crazy setpieces like this, and as odd as it sounds I don't want to ruin them and take away their novelty by trying to play the game seriously. I beat the score benchmark I wanted to (25000 spirits), saw almost all the secrets, pulled off crazy score stunts, and generally had a good time. If I try to start scoreplaying, I'll be ignoring the whole aesthetic value and atmosphere of that crazy TLB, trying not to focus on the frantic pumping music, just so I can keep shooting at its center.

Now perhaps I'm overthinking this, but I've made up my mind.

Uh, playing Radio Zonde right now. Just have to nail Stage 8 and I'll have cleared all the levels!

You're starting to sound like icycalm, man. I thought we played shmups for the satisfaction that comes from learning them and getting big scores, not just to fawn over the pretty graphics like a fucking casual.

[RNGmaster]

When the translation patch comes out I may even start preaching the gospel of Hellsinker XD

I will never stop reaching to gospel of HELLSINKER.

Nor, gus, will I stop playing shmups because of aesthetics and deep philosophical unrest. I enjoy scoring - that's something you can't take away - and I'm content to watch my Ketsui score creep up by a few hundred thousand, and to figure out how to collect a few more coins per stage in DEE BEE. And somebody who has the balls to play Radio Zonde whatsoever is clearly not a "fucking casual" in any sense :V

It's just that Hellsinker isn't exactly a normal shmup. It's a special game to me and I don't want to take that away by trying to play it uber-seriously. Capice?

[Matskat]

BLAST WIND!

Sega Saturn overlooked shmup FTW!

(Also playing Akumajou Dracula X, mos' def' not a shmup!)

[Zaarock]

Dodonpachi DFK Black Label

playing stage 5 on practice mode more than doing actual runs.. sorta annoying so I hope I get stage 5 under control survival wise soon at least. I can do much better on the first four stages than my current best score run, but it's all for nothing if stage 5/the second half of the game doesn't go well.

Stage 5 is where type A really shows its weakness.. controlling popcorn enemy patterns is extremely difficult if you don't have routes memorized or hyper uses planned.

[Captain]

Uh, playing Radio Zonde right now. Just have to nail Stage 8 and I'll have cleared all the levels!

Same here.

Lemme guess, you die when you get to the phase with all those blocks shooting between eachother?

[RNGmaster]

Made it to the one where you're free-floating in space. That is fun.

BREAKING NEWS: icy quoted my recent post and mocked me for having a viewpoint similar to his own, saying "You are just copying from my essay, and THAT made up your mind. There's no way in hell [you] thought of 1/100th of that on your own." Does this guy even believe that other human beings are capable of rational thought? Who am I kidding, of course he doesn't.

Everyone who disagrees with him is an aspie and anyone who agrees with him is a fawning fanboy. Dude must have a lot of friends.

[O. Van Bruce]

Made it to the one where you're free-floating in space. That is fun.

BREAKING NEWS: icy quoted my recent post and mocked me for having a viewpoint similar to his own, saying "You are just copying from my essay, and THAT made up your mind. There's no way in hell [you] thought of 1/100th of that on your own." Does this guy even believe that other human beings are capable of rational thought? Who am I kidding, of course he doesn't.

Everyone who disagrees with him is an aspie and anyone who agrees with him is a fawning fanboy. Dude must have a lot of friends.

The worst is that he doesn't even know what we were talking about in that moment since he completely missundertood what I said about gameplay and aesthetics.