Shmups

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Chopper
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Re: Shmups

Post by Chopper »

Nice one Haze, your journey has been a pleasure to read :)

Have you guys checked out the new Steam recommendation tool? There is a hipster slider (actually a 'mainstream to niche' slider) that I bet will get you some interesting results. If you were lacking for shmups, that is, which by the looks of things, you are not.
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hazeredmist
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Re: Shmups

Post by hazeredmist »

It’s mad at this stage in life where my first thought is “I can’t wait to tell the lads on the forum” :D

Slightly concerned that it didn’t give me the option to save the replay and I can’t find my score. Whatever, it happened and the photo is proof enough.

Aye clippa though the last boss is a bit of a blur as I just kept thinking it was realistic I could do it so I had half an eye on my bombs / lives. All I remember is the diamond shape lol
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Stanshall
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Re: Shmups

Post by Stanshall »

Again, I fuckin love this thread and this little community here. Proper buzz off reading everyone's enjoyment of these amazing weirdo games.
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hazeredmist
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Re: Shmups

Post by hazeredmist »

It’s the thread of the internet. Recently passed 1000 posts too!
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Michiel K
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Re: Shmups

Post by Michiel K »

Congrats, Haze!
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hazeredmist
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Re: Shmups

Post by hazeredmist »

Ah man. You’re all such lovely people :)

I bought that Steredenn, £4.61. Came free with Transcripted which is a twin stick / match 3 hybrid that’s usually £6.99. Bargain or what? Haven’t played either yet.

My mate who 1cc’d me on Neko Navy was over yesterday, I told him about Rolling Gunner. He’s desperate for the game now, but it’s still offline on the eshop. Also tortured him with a go on Crimzon Clover which he enjoyed! He brought his Mayflash F300 Elite round, which is pre-modded with Sanwa stuff. Noticeably different stick feel to mine, looser. Interesting. I prefer mine I think.
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Stanshall
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Re: Shmups

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I'll be interested to see what you make of it. I did enjoy it but found it's pretty punishing. Never made it more than two-thirds of the way through and usually was done by the third boss or so.

Meanwhile, I've gone back to Akai Katana Shin and Espgaluda 2 Black Label.

I really don't get AK. Occasionally things seem to come together and I've got bullets swirling and I cancel the summon and annihilate everything in a maelstrom of swirling medals and explosions but more often than not I just get squeezed into a corner and die. It's really pissing me off, to be honest. I can't read it. I don't get the mechanics or how I'm supposed to be playing it. It's me, I know that much, but I've gone back to it about twenty times and always with a similar result. Whenever I feel like something has clicked, I completely boss it and then twenty seconds later I try the same strategy and it doesn't happen. Maybe I'm summoning too much. Anyway, it's close to getting uninstalled. *handbags*

Espgaluda 2 BL, on the other hand, is better than ever. It was one of the first games I got on the 360 via the Japanese Marketplace and along with Muchi Muchi Pork it was the first 'ohmigod Cave games' moment I ever had at home. It's so spectacular and excessive, even next to DDP DOJ and Ketsui which I'd been running via emulation, and it's pretty much up there with Futari in the pure firework display. It's also pretty distinctive and has some fun mechanics to experiment with. Once I'd 1CC'd Novice Mode, it unlocked Omake! mode which is a slightly weird arrange but I've been putting some time into it casually and it's been hitting the spot. It seems unpredictably forgiving and has some strange rules which I don't yet understand but it's riotously flashy and it's been a fun, pretty unchallenging way of getting my shmup fill when I've been drawn back for some reason to the 90s comforts of FF7 and Resident Evil. Despite my adoration of both games, I'd never finished either. Last week I finally saw the end of FF7. This week, I want to put Resi to bed. Espgaluda 2 will be the one to scratch the shmup itch in the meantime.
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hazeredmist
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Re: Shmups

Post by hazeredmist »

Nice write up Stanshall! Noted modesty for novice 1cc but I’m impressed even if you aren’t :)

You mention emulating Ketsui / DDP DOJ, is that in MAME? I don’t seem to have either of those in my retropi list. Can you elaborate?

I played all the way through 12 stages of Hurricane of the Varstray in arcade mode which I think Ksub recommended, very good fun. It’s a bit odd how it moves, as it’s vert but when you move left or right the screen does a bit too which is weird at first. It also seemed to have a colour mechanic where you can pass through some blue bullets but I never felt sure that was the case as I’m sure some blue bullets killed my ship.

It was definitely a bit budget compared to other games I’ve been playing lately, with the boss sprites being reused a lot, but it was busy and exciting - particularly later on the patterns are mental, and there was some post game thing where it went even more chaotic. One to come back to, I used a fair few credits getting through it.
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KSubzero1000
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Re: Shmups

Post by KSubzero1000 »

Stanshall wrote: July 15th, 2019, 9:27 pm I really don't get AK. Occasionally things seem to come together and I've got bullets swirling and I cancel the summon and annihilate everything in a maelstrom of swirling medals and explosions but more often than not I just get squeezed into a corner and die. It's really pissing me off, to be honest. I can't read it. I don't get the mechanics or how I'm supposed to be playing it.
...Have you tried going into the options and flipping the playing field sideways so you can play it as a makeshift vert to alleviate some of these readability concerns? It'd be worth a try, at least.

Anyway, good to hear about you enjoying Espgaluda 2. It's one of those games that get unfairly ignored in favor of some of their more flashy and prominent brethren, I think.
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Stanshall
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Re: Shmups

Post by Stanshall »

KSubzero1000 wrote: July 16th, 2019, 7:44 am ...Have you tried going into the options and flipping the playing field sideways so you can play it as a makeshift vert to alleviate some of these readability concerns? It'd be worth a try, at least.
I've concluded that I sit way too close to the TV for a horizontal shmup with this much going on. It's fine for verts, in fact, it's fantastic, but I need to back off another metre probably for AK.

I do think that's a good suggestion by the way but I want to play it 'as intended', no matter how little I'm getting out of it! :D
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Michiel K
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Re: Shmups

Post by Michiel K »

clippa wrote: July 12th, 2019, 10:10 am Maybe you're playing too well and the rank is bighting you on the backside?
You could take a leaf out of Stanshall's book and play it smart/cowardly, gaming the rank system.
You could always use the wrong type of shot rather than the right one, stay far away from enemies and try not to pick up gems, bombing and even strategically dying when the bullets start to get quick.
LATE RESPONSE: This might play a part, but netting the big gems just feels so good. Playing it wrong just wouldn't feel right. :| Ah well, I'll just keep playing. Sooner or later I'll make a breakthrough.

French website shmupemall.com produced these "1-sissy" videos on how to clear shoot 'em ups in a cowardly, safe and easy way, without upsetting the rank and going for the big points:



It's stronger than me, though.
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hazeredmist
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Re: Shmups

Post by hazeredmist »

Best shmups on Vita / 3DS?

Going camping tomorrow... need to take a smaller handheld than the Switch. My mate just bought Root Letter off me so I’ve got a tenner of PayPal credit the wife hasn’t siphoned off yet

Edit: I’ve already got Fast Striker which is alright but a bit shit if I’m honest. What about Soldner? Yes, I can’t go a few days without a shmup. That’s what you lot have done to me
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hazeredmist
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Re: Shmups

Post by hazeredmist »

Thanks for the reply on Hurricane by the way Clippa! All noted. Makes sense now...
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KSubzero1000
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Re: Shmups

Post by KSubzero1000 »

hazeredmist wrote: July 16th, 2019, 4:23 pm Best shmups on Vita / 3DS?
Söldner-X 1 & 2 are supposed to be pretty good, although I haven't played them personally.

The 3DS is a notoriously poor platform for quality shmups unless you're willing to remortgage your house and grab the NDS version of Ketsui off of ebay. 8-)
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Alex79
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Re: Shmups

Post by Alex79 »

KSubzero1000 wrote: July 16th, 2019, 4:51 pm
hazeredmist wrote: July 16th, 2019, 4:23 pm Best shmups on Vita / 3DS?
Söldner-X 1 & 2 are supposed to be pretty good, although I haven't played them personally.
They're okay, but far too easy.
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James
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Re: Shmups

Post by James »

hazeredmist wrote: July 16th, 2019, 4:23 pm Best shmups on Vita / 3DS?
I really enjoyed Sine Mora on my Vita. It's been on a load of other platforms too though (not 3DS, as it happens), so you may have played it elsewhere.
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Re: Shmups

Post by ratsoalbion »

hazeredmist wrote: July 16th, 2019, 4:23 pm Best shmups on Vita / 3DS?
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hazeredmist
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Re: Shmups

Post by hazeredmist »

Cheers for the recommendations - I think I’m gonna tale my PSP which has loads of shmups ready. Had a go on Steel Empire on Megadrive last night and got through stage 1, good fun that!
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KSubzero1000
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Re: Shmups

Post by KSubzero1000 »

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
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KSubzero1000
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Re: Shmups

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Up above the world so high,
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