I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

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DoctorKwack101
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I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by DoctorKwack101 »

This has plagued me for years, now. I love the aesthetics, I love the frantic arcadey gameplay, and I love the thrill of weaving through a screen full of bullets, but I cannot complete a bullet hell game to save my life. I've failed at the Cave classics like Deathsmiles and Mushihimesama, Ikaruga was brutal, and I can't seem to get to the end of Blue Revolver no matter how many times I try. I actually dedicated my life to Deathsmiles for an entire year back in 2015, even going so far as to record footage of my runs and analyze what I was doing wrong, just so I could finally say I 1CC'd a bullet hell game, but in the end I never did it. The shmups always win.

What I'm getting at is, are there any bullet hell games you would recommend for a chump like me? Something I could 1CC and be modestly proud of? I really want it to be a bullet hell game, as I love the genre and really want to step up my game. But even the bullet hells that people recommend for beginners seem to be kicking my ass. Should I just give up and go back to playing Animal Crossing?? :(
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CloudyMusic
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by CloudyMusic »

DoctorKwack101 wrote:I actually dedicated my life to Deathsmiles for an entire year back in 2015, even going so far as to record footage of my runs and analyze what I was doing wrong, just so I could finally say I 1CC'd a bullet hell game, but in the end I never did it. The shmups always win.
Deathsmiles (1/1/2/2/3/3, no EX stage) is probably one of the most approachable options, to be honest. You really played it for an entire year? What parts were giving you the most trouble?

If you're analyzing your mistakes, there's nothing there that should be particularly insurmountable, especially if you know where the life-up items are, and how to get both score extends. You can also watch other players' replays to see how they handle particular sections.
DoctorKwack101
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by DoctorKwack101 »

Keres wrote:
DoctorKwack101 wrote:I actually dedicated my life to Deathsmiles for an entire year back in 2015, even going so far as to record footage of my runs and analyze what I was doing wrong, just so I could finally say I 1CC'd a bullet hell game, but in the end I never did it. The shmups always win.
Deathsmiles (1/1/2/2/3/3, no EX stage) is probably one of the most approachable options, to be honest. You really played it for an entire year? What parts were giving you the most trouble?

If you're analyzing your mistakes, there's nothing there that should be particularly insurmountable, especially if you know where the life-up items are, and how to get both score extends. You can also watch other players' replays to see how they handle particular sections.
I got pretty good at blasting through all six stages and maximizing my score, but all of my work would come crashing down during the Jitterbug fight and then Tyrannosatan would just clean up the mess. I seriously didn't understand how I was supposed to fight Jitterbug without taking damage. He's a beast!

Also, the long final level that runs up to Jitterbug would usually knock me down a health point or two as well, especially when the enemy mobs start coming from left and right simultaneously. Even if by some miracle I managed to make it through everything unscathed, Jitterbug would do me in. -_-

(also, I could only do 1/1/1/1/1/1 runs because bumping up to 2 or 3 would always always end up making me take damage......)
SMC
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by SMC »

Use your bombs.
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BulletMagnet
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by BulletMagnet »

DoctorKwack101 wrote:(also, I could only do 1/1/1/1/1/1 runs because bumping up to 2 or 3 would always always end up making me take damage......)
You might want to practice some of those stages on higher difficulties, since extra health items appear in them only when the difficulty is at a certain level (off the cuff I forget which ones, though I'm sure there's an ST thread you could check); IIRC the last stage's difficulty is the same no matter what route you take, so if you can get there with an extra life or two it might help you to get over that last hurdle.
DoctorKwack101
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by DoctorKwack101 »

BulletMagnet wrote:
DoctorKwack101 wrote:(also, I could only do 1/1/1/1/1/1 runs because bumping up to 2 or 3 would always always end up making me take damage......)
You might want to practice some of those stages on higher difficulties, since extra health items appear in them only when the difficulty is at a certain level (off the cuff I forget which ones, though I'm sure there's an ST thread you could check); IIRC the last stage's difficulty is the same no matter what route you take, so if you can get there with an extra life or two it might help you to get over that last hurdle.
Yeah, I just got scared away from the high rank stages because the extra damage I took always ended up nullifying whatever health the cakes gave me. I was like, "Rank 1 is easy so I'll just do Rank 1 all the time!" Apparently beating Jitterbug without using bombs also gives you a whopping two cakes or something like that, which is what I saw in a lot of replays. But the odds of me beating Jitterbug without using bombs are a nice resounding ZERO >_<
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Shepardus
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by Shepardus »

Just going to link to this post I made a while back: http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.ph ... 1#p1264101

If you do well up until then, you can pretty much bomb all the way through Tyrannosatan. If you also bomb through Jitterbug, you might need to actually try for the first half of Tyrannosatan.
Last edited by Shepardus on Mon Aug 07, 2017 8:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by Cee »

Chances this is just another trouserplank troll? Don't fret lad they'll still fall for it, they always do.
DoctorKwack101
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by DoctorKwack101 »

Shepardus wrote:Just going to link to this post I made a while back: http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.ph ... 1#p1264101

If you do well up until then, you can pretty much bomb all the way through Tyrannosatan. If you also bomb through Jitterbug, you might need to actually try for the first half of Tyrannosatan.
Thank you for this list! I'll be sure to check these games out.
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opt2not
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by opt2not »

Also, give this guide a read: http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?t=34497

It's got a lot of fundamental tips and strategies that apply to all games of the genre. I've used it as my bible when I got to the point that I needed to up my game as well.
DoctorKwack101
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by DoctorKwack101 »

opt2not wrote:Also, give this guide a read: http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?t=34497

It's got a lot of fundamental tips and strategies that apply to all games of the genre. I've used it as my bible when I got to the point that I needed to up my game as well.
Thank you for showing me this, I appreciate it! :D
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by Kollision »

overall tips unrelated to the game in question:

1. if you hit a plateau and you're starting to lose the sense of fun just step away from the game for a few days
2. play more than one game at a single time; a mix of old school and danmaku is nice
3. abuse practice modes; e.g. dedicate a whole evening to just a single stage or boss; come back later and reap the results during an actual credit
4. watch someone else who's more experienced play the game and check for ways to improve your own strategy (don't try to mimic, this always leads to anger, and anger leads to fear, fear leads to hate, hate leads to.... well you know the drill)

above all have fun :)
fuck those who brag about being able to beat these games in a sitting, in a week, in a month :wink:
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donluca
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by donluca »

I'm in the same boat as you, I'd advise trying the following games:

Batsugun Special, first loop only. -> First game I beat at normal "arcade difficulty". Pretty satisfying.

Mushihimesama, Maniac Easy Mode -> It took lots of time until I realized when and where to bomb

Mushihimesama, Arrange Mode -> I always manage to reach the TLB and then I get wrecked.

ESPGaluda 2 -> I think I 1CC'ed it at my second or third try.

Crimzon Clover, Novice/Easy (can't remember), also Variable -> took me a month or so, but managed to beat it.

Mushihimesama Futari/Black Label, Easy mode, Ultra/God -> Tons of fun, took me a little short of a month to 1CC it.

Blue Wish/Resurrection -> easy and normal (don't remember the names) -> Really, REALLY satisfying. I love to play this game over and over.

Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu -> I almost managed to 1CC it, I learned how to get through the lasers at the last stage but then dropped it (don't remember why)

Hope this helps!

P.S.: keep in mind I'm REALLY bad at shmups. Like, really REALLY bad.
DoctorKwack101
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by DoctorKwack101 »

Kollision wrote:overall tips unrelated to the game in question:

1. if you hit a plateau and you're starting to lose the sense of fun just step away from the game for a few days
2. play more than one game at a single time; a mix of old school and danmaku is nice
3. abuse practice modes; e.g. dedicate a whole evening to just a single stage or boss; come back later and reap the results during an actual credit
4. watch someone else who's more experienced play the game and check for ways to improve your own strategy (don't try to mimic, this always leads to anger, and anger leads to fear, fear leads to hate, hate leads to.... well you know the drill)

above all have fun :)
fuck those who brag about being able to beat these games in a sitting, in a week, in a month :wink:
I practiced Deathsmiles until I made myself sick of it, which is a shame because it's a great game. I agree with you, I should bounce around a little and just play these games to have fun, not beat myself up for failing to 1CC them.
DoctorKwack101
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by DoctorKwack101 »

donluca wrote:I'm in the same boat as you, I'd advise trying the following games:

Batsugun Special, first loop only. -> First game I beat at normal "arcade difficulty". Pretty satisfying.

Mushihimesama, Maniac Easy Mode -> It took lots of time until I realized when and where to bomb

Mushihimesama, Arrange Mode -> I always manage to reach the TLB and then I get wrecked.

ESPGaluda 2 -> I think I 1CC'ed it at my second or third try.

Crimzon Clover, Novice/Easy (can't remember), also Variable -> took me a month or so, but managed to beat it.

Mushihimesama Futari/Black Label, Easy mode, Ultra/God -> Tons of fun, took me a little short of a month to 1CC it.

Blue Wish/Resurrection -> easy and normal (don't remember the names) -> Really, REALLY satisfying. I love to play this game over and over.

Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu -> I almost managed to 1CC it, I learned how to get through the lasers at the last stage but then dropped it (don't remember why)

Hope this helps!

P.S.: keep in mind I'm REALLY bad at shmups. Like, really REALLY bad.
Ahhh, this is a great list! I will definitely try some of these games out and see if I can achieve the mythical 1CC. Thank you for writing this up for me.
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CloudyMusic
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by CloudyMusic »

donluca wrote:ESPGaluda 2 -> I think I 1CC'ed it at my second or third try.
I'm going to guess you're referring to Arrange or Omake mode (or even BL?). Regular Esp2 is no slouch :P
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Muchi Muchi Spork
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by Muchi Muchi Spork »

I seem to recall Deathsmiles Megablack being an even easier clear than the original Deathsmiles if you know what you're doing in regard to the absolute easiest route.

I've accidentally 1CC'd the Deathsmiles games just while screwing around and not trying.
DoctorKwack101
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by DoctorKwack101 »

Muchi Muchi Spork wrote:I seem to recall Deathsmiles Megablack being an even easier clear than the original Deathsmiles if you know what you're doing in regard to the absolute easiest route.

I've accidentally 1CC'd the Deathsmiles games just while screwing around and not trying.
You know I'm... actually not sure if I ever tried the MBL version!
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Muchi Muchi Spork
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by Muchi Muchi Spork »

I think I figured out the ultimate easiest way to clear it a few years ago if you want to recreate it:

https://youtu.be/LXiRiZ5g-a0
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donluca
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by donluca »

Keres wrote:
donluca wrote:ESPGaluda 2 -> I think I 1CC'ed it at my second or third try.
I'm going to guess you're referring to Arrange or Omake mode (or even BL?). Regular Esp2 is no slouch :P
Gosh now that you mention it I'm not 100% sure about this. Issue is that I've been working on a SCART to JAMMA adapter for quite a bit to make my X360 run on my Astro City cab and didnt' play galuda2 for a while, but you might be 100% correct.

I recall getting into constant zetsukai/zikishai/whateverthedamnthingwherebulletsbecomered to make it more challenging, so it might be arrange/Omake or some sort of easy/alternate mode.
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by MathU »

Try Vacant Ark, MECHA Ritz, or GENETOS. All freeware shooters that get pretty high bullet counts near the end but aren't too difficult without score play.
Of course, that's just an opinion.
Always seeking netplay fans to play emulated arcade games with.
DoctorKwack101
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by DoctorKwack101 »

Thank you guys very much for all your suggestions. I'm going to dive into some of these games and just enjoy some bullet hell goodness. And yes, I must practice, practice, practice!
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Bananamatic
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by Bananamatic »

honestly analyzing your own replays is useless if you have no idea about how to play well
it's better to post your replay and let someone else analyze it
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by Lyv »

DoctorKwack101 wrote:I got pretty good at blasting through all six stages and maximizing my score, but all of my work would come crashing down during the Jitterbug fight and then Tyrannosatan would just clean up the mess. I seriously didn't understand how I was supposed to fight Jitterbug without taking damage. He's a beast!

Also, the long final level that runs up to Jitterbug would usually knock me down a health point or two as well, especially when the enemy mobs start coming from left and right simultaneously. Even if by some miracle I managed to make it through everything unscathed, Jitterbug would do me in. -_-
If you just want to 1cc, build up a hyper (1000 skulls) during the last portion before Jitterbug, use bombs to avoid getting hit if necessary.
Use your hyper right at the start of Jitterbug, he should die before giving you any tricky pattern.
Collect the 2-up you get from not bombing Jitterbug.
Bombspam the last boss.

Good luck !
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by DoomsDave »

I recommend Mushihimesama Futari Black Label original mode. It was the first Cave game I 1cc'd and easily the easiest Cave arcade mode imo.
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by BulletMagnet »

If you're looking for general beginner tips/suggestions, try this.
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by Goompaolo9500 »

I only suck a t Crimzon Clover. Reached up to Stage 3 though. At least for Espgaluda(Arcade), Reached up to Stage 5 Boss before Stage 6(Enemy Clone Part). I am probably going high octane in Dodonpachi Daioujou when I use a LV3~LV5 Hyper.
At this rate, I won’t be interested into shmups anymore. I am no longer going to be active in this forum from now on. I am more interested into Kemono Friends, rhythm games, D4DJ, Puzzle Games, Hololive, and Pretty Cure.

Farewell.
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finisherr
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by finisherr »

I have some advice...

If you play on a 360, play Mushihimesama Futari Black Label Original Mode as mentioned earlier.

If you play MAME, Playstation (JP) or Saturn (JP), get a copy of DodonPachi and play that. Don't ask me how to do this if you don't already.

Next, play the game. Use your bombs. Don't try to be a hero and No Miss/No Bomb. Read the tips in the strategy section for general gameplay. Watch replays when you get stuck on hard parts.

Oh yeah, and play that game...a lot. Get fully immersed. Take breaks, but not too long. You'll forget your routes. That's really all it takes usually. Scoring well is a whole other can of worms I never quite figured out how to do, but first loop clears are usually achievable if you use most of your resources and get somewhat consistent on safe routes.

Don't look at the bullets. Looks at the gaps. Stay calm. Heard bullets to find openings. Don't move if you don't have to. Learn to tap dodge. Bomb the hell out of the last boss.

Good luck.
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Re: I love bullet hell games but I suck at them!

Post by Bananamatic »

finisherr wrote: If you play MAME, Playstation (JP) or Saturn (JP), get a copy of DodonPachi and play that. Don't ask me how to do this if you don't already.
the DDP ports are ass, just emulate it
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