I DID IT! Share your latest 1CCs/other triumphs here...

[pja]

Cleared Salamander now, not sure it was worth it but I felt like I had to after figuring out stage 4 boss in practice mode for like 2 hours, I don't know what they were thinking with that one Later half of the game straight up sucks. Actually had to recover from death at the end of stage 5 (died at Death, lol) but it wasn't too bad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7QTPd2UIkQ

[Faith]

I really enjoy Original MAX because I love the blisteringly fast pace

Thank you!! And also thank you for being here to support me :D

Also, if you like that speed, you should try either Crimzon Clover Arcade Boost or "speedrun" mode in Like Dreamer. Very fun!!~

For Arcade Boost, there is very very heavy dynamic rank, and very soon, bullets also start moving at light speed lol... it is very difficult to clear high rank... but it is very fun to play it for score!!

For Like Dreamer, the "speedrun" mode they remove all enemy gaps and enemy just come one after another... it is super crazy!

Actually, Original Max reminds me of this because... I can only play maybe 3 or maximum 4 attempts of Original Max before brain just say "ok ok stop;" haha, because it is very high processing.

Original Max is definitely a mode that is 99% skill in high speed dodge, and little routing. So, because of that, high awareness!~

[To Far Away Times]

Mushi Original Max is absolute top tier.

That game is everything I want in a vertical shmup.

[stellar_light]

Also, if you like that speed, you should try either Crimzon Clover Arcade Boost or "speedrun" mode in Like Dreamer. Very fun!!~

For Arcade Boost, there is very very heavy dynamic rank, and very soon, bullets also start moving at light speed lol... it is very difficult to clear high rank... but it is very fun to play it for score!!

For Like Dreamer, the "speedrun" mode they remove all enemy gaps and enemy just come one after another... it is super crazy!

Actually, Original Max reminds me of this because... I can only play maybe 3 or maximum 4 attempts of Original Max before brain just say "ok ok stop;" haha, because it is very high processing.

Original Max is definitely a mode that is 99% skill in high speed dodge, and little routing. So, because of that, high awareness!~

I'd definitely like to come back to Crimzon Clover Arcade soon! Most of my efforts in that game had been focused on Arcade Original so I didn't try its version of Boost much, even though I love how Boost works in Novice and Arrange. I like when individual shmup modes can continue to scale up even after you've already cleared them.

Cleared Salamander now, not sure it was worth it but I felt like I had to after figuring out stage 4 boss in practice mode for like 2 hours, I don't know what they were thinking with that one Later half of the game straight up sucks. Actually had to recover from death at the end of stage 5 (died at Death, lol) but it wasn't too bad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7QTPd2UIkQ

Grats! Yea, Salamander is fun but it feels much less tight and polished than Gradius 1 to me with the lack of extends, the harsh memo moments near the end and a surprising amount of safespots all over the game--the stage 4 boss actually has a timeout strat if you line up on a certain pixel before the fight starts but even that can choose to spontaneously break depending on the circumstances. It's worth giving Life Force JP a look if you aren't all Salamander-ed out yet, it does fix a couple issues although the core design is the same.

[To Far Away Times]

For me personally, I'd put Salamander/Life Force over Gradius.

Presentation wise I just like what Samalander/Life Force is going for much more than Gradius. It's a much better realized vision. I dunno, I like almost all of Konami's non-Gradius shmups over their Gradius ones.

And on that note, would the plural of Gradius be... Gradii?

[To Far Away Times]

Played a few hours of Salamander III today and got a surprise clear.

Clearing this really just seems to come down to not chain dying and losing your powerups. Then using your burst to speed kill bosses. Using the burst makes a huge difference and the recharge time is quite short.

Really not much of a fan of this. I shared some more detailed thoughts in the Gradius Origins thread, but this game is kind of a mess, and imo, and not up to the standards of a proper “Salamander” game.

[ExitPlanetDust]

Just finished up a special difficulty GG Aleste 3 1CC with slowdown on. I’m going to take a break for a bit and see how far I can go with slowdown off. Wave 5 and on is some superhuman shit with it off.

[To Far Away Times]

Played more shmups today, got another clear. This time with Earthion. At first, I wasn’t sure if I even liked the game or not. It’s kinda a… Euroshmup? But the more I played it, the more I liked it. I enjoyed the between stage upgrade system, and planning my upgrade route. And even with the recharging health bars, it still requires some effort. It’s got enough bite to put up a satisfying 1CC challenge.

Actually really dug this one after a few plays. Not in the Genesis shmup top five, but probably within the top ten. I could see myself going back and replaying this.

[EmperorIng]

I actually need to spend some more time with Earthion. I am glad they have continued to update it seeing as the early release was rough in quite a few areas (which is when the game wasn't grabbing me). There's plenty to like there, however.

I have been playing the Sonic Wings series since 2023, God damn. Well, 2023 was SW1, 2024 was all about SW3, and now, on-and-off this year, I have been tackling Sonic Wings 2, and finally 2ALL'd the game after months of practice and attempts. This is far and away the hardest shmup I've ever cleared - the second loop is just so insanely unfair that any mistake could mean instant death, and death is usually irrecoverable in loop 2. The game has a lot of jank and is teetering on the edge of being shit at times with how spastic its bullet patterns and coding is. But after nearly 170 hours (!!!) I finally put it away:
viewtopic.php?p=1589494#p1589494

And, to boot, I got the highest-scoring replay of that particular ship (Angela, rechristened as "Steve" for Aero Fighters 2), and the community record! Funnily enough, my score was high enough that had I been ultra lucky and gotten the appx 1% chance of a Mambo the sunfish spawn as the final boss, I would have actually gotten the world record for the game. But, as you know, those ain't great odds. Part of me feels almost drawn to repeating the 2all until it happens but that feels like sheer madness.

The real kicker is that I was playing SW2 with a different ship (Cynthia and Ellen) as a practice run, and got a Mambo appearance a few days ago. Go fucking figure! This game hates me and is quite cruel.

With that, the only Sonic Wings game left to "conquer" is Sonic Wings Limited. So I am not exactly saving the best for last! But I have high hopes that I can achieve a big score there as well.

[To Far Away Times]

Damn, that’s quite impressive. Sonic Wings 2 is super duper mega hard. I’ve wanted to do a lowly 1-ALL just for Spanky and the memes, but even that seems insurmountable.

[locoBro1196]

I actually need to spend some more time with Earthion. I am glad they have continued to update it seeing as the early release was rough in quite a few areas (which is when the game wasn't grabbing me). There's plenty to like there, however.

I have been playing the Sonic Wings series since 2023, God damn. Well, 2023 was SW1, 2024 was all about SW3, and now, on-and-off this year, I have been tackling Sonic Wings 2, and finally 2ALL'd the game after months of practice and attempts. This is far and away the hardest shmup I've ever cleared - the second loop is just so insanely unfair that any mistake could mean instant death, and death is usually irrecoverable in loop 2. The game has a lot of jank and is teetering on the edge of being shit at times with how spastic its bullet patterns and coding is. But after nearly 170 hours (!!!) I finally put it away:
viewtopic.php?p=1589494#p1589494

And, to boot, I got the highest-scoring replay of that particular ship (Angela, rechristened as "Steve" for Aero Fighters 2), and the community record! Funnily enough, my score was high enough that had I been ultra lucky and gotten the appx 1% chance of a Mambo the sunfish spawn as the final boss, I would have actually gotten the world record for the game. But, as you know, those ain't great odds. Part of me feels almost drawn to repeating the 2all until it happens but that feels like sheer madness.

The real kicker is that I was playing SW2 with a different ship (Cynthia and Ellen) as a practice run, and got a Mambo appearance a few days ago. Go fucking figure! This game hates me and is quite cruel.

With that, the only Sonic Wings game left to "conquer" is Sonic Wings Limited. So I am not exactly saving the best for last! But I have high hopes that I can achieve a big score there as well.

Respect, that's quite a feat. The most I've spent on a shmup is probably around 40-45 hours, anything after that I think my head will just blow up. I admire your sheer dedication to the cause! Sonic Wings 2 is a terrific game and I'd be happy to get a lowly 1-ALL one day.

Sonic Wings Limited is quite good actually, or perhaps my threshold for quality is rather low. I also find it to have a much more accessible 1-ALL (I don't recall there's a 2nd loop?) than any of the other SW games. You'll probably breeze through it, though scoring is a different matter.

[FRO]

I always forget to come post my 1CC runs here, so here are a few since the last time:

Twin Cobra NES 1CC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4UJA3pFxww

A couple Sol Cresta 1CC's (Wing Galiber and Wing Galiber II):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtkDCvkADjk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDFCvHszvuU&t=256s

NES Gradius 1-loop clear:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zun1xuoKVZI

SNES Gradius III 1-loop clear:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBKz0jPNtE4

Polyxena and Orestes Normal clears in Bio-Hazard Battle:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8-s0dDIwUg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S24QTRL9pQ

All 3 weapon/attack style Normal clears in Hazelnut Hex:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdJXnAK ... gKAYcqIYzv
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnYXqBOsB-0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56ldEAH ... gKAYcqIYzv

And my latest clears in Blue Revolver Double Action, I managed a Normal clear with Mae using the Vortex Barrier, and a Normal clear with Dee using the Gun Buckler:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGTl15Y9OSo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hymWI2nSBk0

Nice work dude! Shame M2 didn't include the SNES version of Gradius III in Origins. Even with with the slowdown it's amazing and the OST is insanely good. I really need to beat Bio-Hazard Battle. So much Genesis soul. Saving your replay for reference. Which ship was easier?

Thanks! I would say Polyxena is the easiest place to start because of its weapon load-out. Either ship is viable, and I suspect I could get a clear with all 4 ships if I went back and put the work in. I also came close to a Hard difficulty clear before the month was up and I moved on to Hazelnut Hex. I may eventually go back and grab those other 2 Normal clears and at least one Hard clear.

[Hail Sadako]

I recently got a Mushihimesama 1.5 ORIGINAL MAX 1CC!

This game mode is so much fun! Does anyone know of any games similar to this? It's got such a great mix of high enemy bullet speed & density.
I had never reached gold/yellow rank before this run, so I was scared entering the stage 5 boss fight at almost 60k counter.

I think I'm gonna keep playing this mode until I either get a no miss or burn out

Here's a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvyOGFzDu1o

[Creamy Goodness]

Just got a "blind" clear of Space Megaforce. I put blind in quotes because I will play a credit of this game once or twice a year that would generally end a couple of stages in, but I never took the time to actually sitdown with it to learn the game. This time the credit just kept going until I saw the staff roll. The spread weapon is super OP and basically breaks the game.

Interestingly enough looking at the hi scores for this game, considering it has the DNA of a caravan shooter the hi scores don't vary that much. It doesn't really seem like a game to play for score.

[Angry Hina]

Like most Aleste Games?

[To Far Away Times]

Space Megaforce took me some practice. Not the hardest game in the world, but it took me a few days of playing it. I had to know what was coming.

I almost never get blind clears unless it's just a super easy game.

[Faith]

I recently got a Mushihimesama 1.5 ORIGINAL MAX 1CC!

Does anyone know of any games similar to this?

Big big congrats! Original Max is no joke >.<!~ To answer your question, see my post here: viewtopic.php?p=1589272#p1589272

I will also add Blue Wish Desire to that list (especially Accel mode).

Accel in Blue Wish Desire bullet speeds super crazy fast, but it is an unlocked mode after Hell 1CC!~

[Hail Sadako]

I recently got a Mushihimesama 1.5 ORIGINAL MAX 1CC!

Does anyone know of any games similar to this?

Big big congrats! Original Max is no joke >.<!~ To answer your question, see my post here: viewtopic.php?p=1589272#p1589272

I will also add Blue Wish Desire to that list (especially Accel mode).

Accel in Blue Wish Desire bullet speeds super crazy fast, but it is an unlocked mode after Hell 1CC!~

Thanks for the recommendations!
Blue Wish Desire, Crimzon Clover & Like Dreamer, I have those games but I haven't tried those specific game modes. Now I know what to play next!

[Gamer707b]

Space Megaforce took me some practice. Not the hardest game in the world, but it took me a few days of playing it. I had to know what was coming.

I almost never get blind clears unless it's just a super easy game.

Yea, it's not a hard game, but it does get tricky later on. Plus, it's a long game, so you need some stamina to stay focused. I'm in the minority, but I have played and cleared this and Musha and like this game more.

[blazinglazers69]

Space Megaforce took me some practice. Not the hardest game in the world, but it took me a few days of playing it. I had to know what was coming.

I almost never get blind clears unless it's just a super easy game.

Yea, it's not a hard game, but it does get tricky later on. Plus, it's a long game, so you need some stamina to stay focused. I'm in the minority, but I have played and cleared this and Musha and like this game more.

100% agree. It's more technically/visually striking with the wavy backgrounds and mode 7 stuff, plus having 9 weapons instead of 3 gives it more depth. People sometimes shit on Compile for being too easy, but I don't see too many clears of Space Megaforce online with harder difficulties posted.

[To Far Away Times]

I am on team MUSHA (or the very under rated Spriggan) but I still like Space Megaforce a lot.

Might be my third favorite shmup on the SNES after the superb Axelay and R-Type III. I pretty much like every Compile game out there, and Space Megaforce is one of their best. I like their game design a lot, and how they design their games for console strengths. Space Megaforce always felt like an appropriately challenging game to me, I was happy when I cleared it. Sure it’s not super duper mega hard, but it’s no freebie clear, either. Perfect for a console game.

[Angry Hina]

I startetd it just very shortly for a quick view (under 10 Minutes) and was a bit shocked, how boring the first stage was. Very empty and in a bad way stereotypical consoly. It was just a very short view but because of this, I never bought this game.

[Creamy Goodness]

I am on team MUSHA (or the very under rated Spriggan) but I still like Space Megaforce a lot.

Might be my third favorite shmup on the SNES after the superb Axelay and R-Type III. I pretty much like every Compile game out there, and Space Megaforce is one of their best. I like their game design a lot, and how they design their games for console strengths. Space Megaforce always felt like an appropriately challenging game to me, I was happy when I cleared it. Sure it’s not super duper mega hard, but it’s no freebie clear, either. Perfect for a console game.

Yeah the challenge is dialed in really well. It's a good game for a first clear. Only annoying thing is there are a lot of instances where enemies are blocked from obstructions in the environment so they can only be hit by certain weapons. Maybe this was a design choice to compensate for the slower speed of the game.

Regarding Compile's overall catalog they are hit and miss for me. And I'm not seeing the criticism regarding the challenge of their games because they do have some tough games. I actually recently cleared MUSHA as well and I found it to be much hard compared to Space Megaforce.

[To Far Away Times]

Got the 1CC in Touhou 20 - Fossilized Wonders. Pretty solid game. Feels like a combination of many prior Touhou games. There's a bit of UFO, a bit of the light rouge-like elements from Unconnected Marketeers, and a bit of the varied shot types from Hidden Star in Four Seasons.

In this one the main hook is that you get to build your own shot type by picking from eight stones and you can put them in one of four slots which change the stone's properties. There's a lot to play around with. I went with the green story stone that gives you a bomb fragment if you don't get hit during the hyper mode. I combined that with the red stone in the support slot that let's you build hyper mode faster. I used the blue homing shot since I found that it did pretty good damage if it was in the focus slot, and the damage drop off compared to the red and green stones was worth it because it's very good at controlling stages. The blue homing shot is horrible at low power though, so I put a high damage red stone in the unfocused shot so I could use it in stage 1 when my shot power was really low. Then I just tried to bomb as much as I could get away with and let my resources carry me. Reimu's bomb does a lot of damage, so if you use a bomb a few seconds into a boss' pattern you can usually just skip the attack. I know a lot of people go with the yellow story stone which has the hyper that uses your options to reflect incoming bullets, but it was very hard for me to wrap my head around the start/stop pace of when I was safe and when I wasn't. I don't think I had seen anyone else use my setup online, but it works for my play style.

And with that I'm back to having cleared all the mainline Touhou games.

[ExitPlanetDust]

Another GG Aleste 3 special difficulty clear. This time with Kaiteki mode on (no slowdown).

[Angry Hina]

I've tried to ressurrect my routs and get finally the real version of Tatsujin down now, that its released on Switch. Some years ago, I cleared the MD version.

Its harder on the first three stages, more or less even on the fouth but easier on the hardest and last fifth stage. Even though the two big twin ships near the end are even more problematic here.

It was again very surprising, how much precision this game demands on your positioning and your memory. Especially its focus on finding again and again the middle of the screen to be the most safe against enemies from behind.

I am proud that I killed the twin shipts at 27:00 with only two bombs and that it was nearly a one life clear. I am not that proud of not beeing able to get the stage 1 boss of the second loop down. Its so hard to recover there and safe three bombs for the boss -.-

https://youtu.be/zxDO3q7dDnA

[blazinglazers69]

Another GG Aleste 3 special difficulty clear. This time with Kaiteki mode on (no slowdown).

Nicely done! Cool to see you rocking weapon A pretty much the whole time. I always wished the laser would travel the opposite direction of your inputs put I guess if you just tap dodge a lot it's very effective for defense.

[keyInkRobo]

I am pleased to announce my first recorded 1CC achievement. I successfully cleared DoDonPachi Dai-Fukkatsu 1.5 on Novice difficulty. Consistent with accounts from other players in this community, this milestone was achieved during a casual play session with family on a nearby couch.

This represents an excellent early clear, and I highly recommend this title to others. I utilized the green ship configuration with wide shot capabilities. My next objectives include either Deathsmiles or DoDonPachi Dai-Fukkatsu Black Label.

[Faith]

I am pleased to announce my first recorded 1CC achievement. I successfully cleared DoDonPachi Dai-Fukkatsu 1.5 on Novice difficulty. Consistent with accounts from other players in this community, this milestone was achieved during a casual play session with family on a nearby couch.

Big congrats! May this be your first of many!~

[ExitPlanetDust]

Nicely done! Cool to see you rocking weapon A pretty much the whole time. I always wished the laser would travel the opposite direction of your inputs put I guess if you just tap dodge a lot it's very effective for defense.

Thanks. Things get a bit silly with suicide bullets in special without one of the bullet canceling weapons. In my clear there’s an example of how absurd it can get (just before the 6th boss) when I was stuck with chain chaser.