Armed Police Batrider - October Tournament

[Stanshall]

Indeed, I'm playing on Vita. Seems quite nippy but not sure if it's same speed as original arcade or not. Probably? Might give it a go on laptop, too. Certainly be easier on a larger screen I expect.

I'd assume definitely easier on a bigger screen just because the bullets are a lot less conspicuous than something like Dodonpachi. Glad it's running nicely on the Vita, though.

It's a tough game and not one that necessarily suits my usual taste or skills but I'm enjoying dipping in every so often. Still playing DOJ Black Label and Mushihimesama Novice Ultra as well as starting some Futari Ultra for some zero pressure unique spectacle.

[Stanshall]

Yeah, I've played it on cab at Arcade Club and never noticed any lag but that's without much frame of reference. I'm gonna try to pop up there next weekend for some DOJ and I'll give Batrider another go. It's a good game, obviously lots of strategy and secrets and stuff to it but it's very punishing and has some frustrating difficulty spikes.

Ha, novice ultra, I'll have to try that!

It sounds like some wet lettuce bullshit but it's a really fun mode. Pretty slow bullets but loads of them and Fisher Price ultra patterns which you can cancel for lots of dopamine. You'll probably clear it first go but it's a decent enough challenge for me still.

ALSO

I just found out that Futari has a Novice Ultra mode, accessible through the Arrange menu! It's a lot easier than Mushi Novice Ultra and I no missed up to Larsa but it's such a great way to familiarise yourself with the Ultra patterns and the absolutely essential bullet cancels from stage 2 onwards. It's got autobomb as default and it's a piece of piss but for someone wanting to get a taste of the ultra sensory overload, it's a lot of fun. Will be my retirement home mode of choice.

[hazeredmist]

If Alex has this set up on his Vita, I should be able to get it working on my shield. Will try that

[hazeredmist]

Got it working via Retroarch. Should have thought of this earlier. Mame4Droid wasn’t working

[hazeredmist]

Yeah I’m worse if anything on shield. Glad it's not just me not feeling this one clips

[hazeredmist]

610350

[Stanshall]

OK, that's progress. What ship are you using?

[Stanshall]

Not wet lettuce bullshit, it's sounds like it could be the perfect balance and I never even considered it.

You'll probably clear it first go

Yeah, I suppose I am great when I stop and think about it. Good point, well made.
I'm gonna try it tonight, it sounds like great fun.

I wish the Futari Novice Ultra was balanced more like it, I'll say that much. It could do with a Casual Ultra, kind of like Rolling Gunner. Something between Novice and Normal.

Mushi Novice Ultra is great, though. I cracked Stage 3 earlier but ended up continuing on Stage 4, those water snakes or whatever they are. Not sure about the hurt boxes so kept dying when I was trying to fly over them. TLB is also still a bit tough with certain patterns. Anyway, great fun, very recommended.

[hazeredmist]

OK, that's progress. What ship are you using?

The police team, the second ship is my favourite one. Homing things and the bomb is great

[hazeredmist]

You can choose to just use that guy all the time if you like if you choose select player instead of select team. Sorry if you already knew that.



Here, I've just seen that there's a training mode, it has autobomb and it ends after stage 3. I don't see anything wrong with allowing scoring submissions from that mode. The scoring is the same but the potential is less because you're ending at stage 3. That'll be a lot more forgiving.

Thanks and thanks! This information helps a lot - as does the training thing, I'll definitely play that. This could change my experience a lot!

[hazeredmist]

Improvements! 886830. Switching to only the character I like and the training mode (same deal, still absolutely rock, it just has autobombs and less stages) is helping.

My new goal is to get over 1m which seems achievable now...

[hazeredmist]

980150 using that character now clips cheers.

This game is unreasonably, almost unbearably hard. Is that why it’s so highly regarded by the shmup nerds? Bullets are tough to see, I’m often blindsided by things I had no idea were there. Much prefer other shmups but making slow but steady progress.

[hazeredmist]

King of Anglia!

[hazeredmist]

I moan about being shit, but I am compulsively playing it in spare time rather than begrudgingly now. Maybe I do like it, a bit. I just wish I was better at it.

This is my laptop and an Xbox pad, by candlelight. Felt a bigger screen was needed as the bullets are pretty hard to see on the Shield. They're still hard to see and I'm still losing way too many cheap bombs / lives as a result, but there is something about it keeping me playing, clearly.

Might try some other characters...

(aye, next time a more forgiving game would be cool but tbh, I think I'm happy with this choice ultimately. Our little STG challenges are getting us playing and talking as we said, that's what matters)

[Stanshall]

Oof, great stuff, you're breaking away from the pack now. Quality. Would love to see a vid if you get chance (so I can nick your stats).

Haze, great work breaking the mill, the ball is well and truly rolling now. I couldn't confidently break a mill with anyone other than that big fella and the second character, that girl with homing missiles.

[hazeredmist]

Yeah I'd watch a video too actually!

@stan cheers - your character prefs match mine - the mil barrier was broken with the homing missile girl after I went back to trying her out

[hazeredmist]

Naff 1cc please for me. I will whoop and cheer and cry at the end

[hazeredmist]

Could you explain in the most simple terms possible for the benefit of an idiot how the chaining works by the way? Do I just collect all the stuff that falls down the screen if I can as and when it falls? Sometimes there is 100,000 points difference when I finish stage 1 in different runs and I don't really know why...

[Stanshall]

Clippa, well done on the 1CC, you brute! Maybe now you've tamed the beast, me and haze can kick it while it's down. Defo want to get back to this when Futari lets me go for a few minutes.

[hazeredmist]

Jesus. My brain melts watching that. Really impressive man, I can't fathom how good your eyes / reactions must be. Last boss in particular had bullets from allsorts of directions I only saw after you skillfully slithered past them. Thanks for posting - I will never, ever get to that level. Be proud of yourself!