Shmups

[ImmaculateClump]

 

2 hours ago, geldra said:

I just don’t “get” Darius for some reason. I really want to but it just doesn’t click for me.

 

I can hear a rusty bicycle chain being dragged up the cycle-track.

Think that might be Klatrymadon coming to politely disagree.

 

Yeah, I never saw the appeal of darius either.

 

I think it was the perfect storm of Marlew endlessly banging on about gaiden and then somebody shortly after picking it for a scoring competition that made me go "reet, the stars are aligning, I suppose the universe wants me to give this a chance."

 

I never realised how creative and experimental and far out the series was.

When I thought of darius, which I just assumed I'd played, I pictured really safe, oldschool, plodding gameplay, no frills, straight spaceship shit, though I probably got it confused with gradius which might not have helped.

 

Gaiden was my way in. I mean it's not gonna trouble my top twenty list or anything, but I can really appreciate it for what it is and say it's a good game.

 

Before that, dariusburst, I totally bounced off. I stuck with it trying to see what I was missing, mainly because it set me back 25 quid or something! 1cc'ed a couple of the routes, but just didn't enjoy a second of it. Going back to some of these older games, it feels like the series became way more safe and conservative in it's old age.

You've changed, duuuuude! You used to have long hair, sat pie eyed in a field picking mushrooms from your teeth, listening to jazz, man!

 

Might be worth me giving dariusburst another crack of the whip some time, see if I feel any more warmth to it. See if I can maybe squeeze a drop of enjoyment out of it after having played some of the older games.

[Triple A]

nah man Darius is awesome.

I love its otherworldlyness and sheer idon'tcarewhatyouthinkness from the developers.

it's creepy, cool, well-crafted and artistic and omg the music.

[Pockets]

I just really liked the physicality of the bullets hitting stuff sound in Dariusburst. Really percussive and visceral. 
 

Never really figured it out properly or got very far but enjoyed it as a spectacle. 

[ImmaculateClump]

Wow! This is fantastic. I'm making loads of new fishy friends!

I'm liking this way better than gaiden so far.

The music on stage 3 of the top row reminds me of this from Dungeons of Dredmor. It really feels like you're picking out new little hidden subliminal melodies in your mind each time you hear it.

 

Really like the way you can choose different paths during the level. I'm guessing the top path is the one that fucks you over!

Stage 4 on the top row is as far as I can go so far.

[geldra]

Was the release of Natsuki Chrons an accident on PS4 or something?  It has disappeared from the store. 

[ImmaculateClump]

Very strange.

Seems to still be up on the japanese store - https://store.playstation.com/ja-jp/product/JP4771-CUSA25003_00-7514732531047794

You don't do pc, do you? Steam version still up - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1175190/Natsuki_Chronicles/

 

I've checked qute's twitter and there's no mention of it there. Hopefully it's just a glitch or something and it's back up soon!

Very strange.

 

222 days sparkly and bright!
What a beautiful sunny day.

 

edit: Oh, look, there's a bundle where you can buy it with ginga force - https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/product/EP4034-CUSA26074_00-SEVENTIABUNDLE02

 

Look like it's here, but it's not showing the picture. Something weird must be going on - https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/product/EP4034-CUSA26074_00-NATSUKICHRON00EU?PlatformPrivacyWs1=all&psappver=19.15.0&scope=sceapp&smcid=psapp%3Alink menu%3Astore

[ImmaculateClump]

The results are in - https://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=68147

 

01. Ketsui ~Kizuna Jigoku Tachi~
02. Battle Garegga
03. DoDonPachi Dai-Ou-Jou / Black Label
04. Mushihimesama Futari / 1.5 / Black Label
05. Ikaruga
06. Crimzon Clover / World Ignition / etc.
07. DoDonPachi
08. Armed Police Batrider
09. Radiant Silvergun
10. Darius Gaiden
11. Gradius V
12. ZeroRanger
13. Dangun Feveron / Fever SOS
14. Mushihimesama / 1.5
15. R-Type
16. ESP Ra.De. / Psi
17. Gradius Gaiden
18. ESPGaluda / Arrange
19. Gunbird 2
20. RayForce / Layer Section / etc.
21. Mars Matrix
22. G-Darius
23. Deathsmiles / Mega Black Label
24. Cho Ren Sha 68K
25. Strikers 1945 II

 

Surprised to see Zeroranger in there. The old guard don't usually bother unless a game is at least 30 years old.

PC indie shmups often don't get a look in.

[Triple A]

I can get behind that list in the main

[Pockets]

Radiant Silvergun in the top ten. Is it really that good?

 

I bought the live arcade version when that came out but was put off by the multiple buttons for shot types. Don’t know why really but I do like my shmups simple. I stuck it on yesterday and had a quick go along with Guwange which I don’t think I’d noticed had a character select before. Might try to get back into them. 

[Marlew]

I totally forgot about the shmups forum, to be honest, or I would have voted. Cheers for the list. DOJ, Futari, Garegga, Ikaruga and Ketsui are the five shmups I've played most in my life and I think they're 'the best', so I don't have any issues with the top five there.

 

Beyond those, I'd personally have Psyvariar Delta in there and, honestly, Missile Dancer. Rolling Gunner quite possibly if I think back to how much I loved the base game. Raiden Fighters Aces is another I really love and still want to play more. Would defo be in my list. Muchi Muchi, too. This year I'd throw in GG Aleste 3 because it's been so much fun. I don't really like Gradius much for whatever reason but I haven't played those particular versions. One day, I guess.

 

Sod it, here's my list off the top of my head, FWIW:

 

Spoiler

1. Futari 

2. DOJ BL

3. Battle Garegga

4. Ketsui

5. Ikaruga

6. Psyvariar Delta

7. Mushi 1.5

8. Muchi Muchi Pork

9. Raiden Fighters Aces

10. Darius Gaiden

11. Dangun Feveron

12. Crimzon Clover World Explosion

13. Rolling Gunner

14. Missile Dancer 

15. Gunbird 2

 

Beyond those, there are another thirty that are 'just really good' and pointless to try to separate and therefore pointless to list. So I will...

 

Spoiler

DDP DFK BL

Darius 2

Progear

Neko Navy 

BWR+

Dragon Blaze

SDOJ

Espgaluda 1&2

ESP Ra.De. Psy

Strikers 2

19XX

GG Aleste 3

Sorcer Striker

DariusBurst: CS

Tengai

 

 

[Triple A]

At the risk of turning this into a list thread, my 5 are;

1. Garegga

2. Ketsui

3. Mushi (I prefer the original - I know I know)

4. ESP Ra.De

5. Batrider

[ImmaculateClump]

1 hour ago, Marlew said:

I totally forgot about the shmups forum, to be honest

 

Yeah, it doesn't seem to be the mecca of shmupdom it once was. I think most of the community has drifted away, mostly to discord, some on twitter, reddit, others scattered about on different forum megathreads like this one.
Can't blame them, there were a few bad eggs sullying the vibe for everyone else.
It was particularly unwelcoming to new players.

 

Lots of really nice and friendly people on there, to be fair, and some of the arseholes seem to have drifted away now too, though I never really felt relaxed and comfortable  and welcomed enough to post there, personally, to be honest.

 

I felt sorry for one of the mods a while ago he started a thread about mechanical star astra and he was all like "What the hell! Why am I the last to know about this? Particularly since boghog and Charlene are both registered here."

 

I was going to reply because it looked like he was getting blanked but I didn't want to speak for anyone.

I don't think they did it purposefully to shun the forum, I think it was more that they wanted to fly a bit under the radar and work more on the game until they were more confident with what they had to show before they presented it to the ultra-critical eye of the shmup forum regulars.

 

Yeah, It's still in my bookmarks, I still check in now and then. They never really had their finger on the pulse, I'd usually hear most news a few days before I read it on there, but it's a lot worse now, they're on a bit more a satellite delay nowadays. Still lots of decent strategy guides on there and still some groovy cats posting on there now and then.

 

I couldn't be arsed to vote.

[ImmaculateClump]

On 25/02/2021 at 15:51, Triple A said:

struggling to find Cotton Reboot on the Japanese PS Store - any tips?

 

https://www.beep-shop.com/sap/cottonreboot/update.html

 

■ 2021/02/26 News about PS4 download version ■ From 00:00 on March 3rd, "Cotton Reboot! ] PlayStation®4 download version is now available! Price: 4,980 yen including tax We apologize for the inconvenience, and thank you for your understanding.

[Triple A]

Thank you!

[Stoikovich]

Think I’d swap Gradius V and Ikaruga, but that’s a fine list.

 

Anyone able to suggest how to play Mars Matrix?  Presume its DC emulation unless some other version has been released that’s passed me by?  I have fond memories of 2P with a friend, we got pretty good and I’d love to give it another whirl 

[Spoonman]

just saved this beautiful monitor from the trash, playing DC on VGA CRT for the first time in 15+ years. It’s amazing. 

[geldra]

10 hours ago, ImmaculateClump said:

Very strange.

Seems to still be up on the japanese store - https://store.playstation.com/ja-jp/product/JP4771-CUSA25003_00-7514732531047794

You don't do pc, do you? Steam version still up - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1175190/Natsuki_Chronicles/

 

I've checked qute's twitter and there's no mention of it there. Hopefully it's just a glitch or something and it's back up soon!

Very strange.

 

222 days sparkly and bright!
What a beautiful sunny day.

 

edit: Oh, look, there's a bundle where you can buy it with ginga force - https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/product/EP4034-CUSA26074_00-SEVENTIABUNDLE02

 

Look like it's here, but it's not showing the picture. Something weird must be going on - https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/product/EP4034-CUSA26074_00-NATSUKICHRON00EU?PlatformPrivacyWs1=all&psappver=19.15.0&scope=sceapp&smcid=psapp%3Alink menu%3Astore

Thanks for this. Managed to buy it from that last link. 
 

Oosh nice setup @Spoonman

[El Spatula]

That looks brilliant. Will buy on Steam! What's Ginga Force like?

[Dig Dug]

Ghost Pilots is the worst shoot'em up I have ever played and beaten. Happy to be deleting it from my switch.

[geldra]

8 hours ago, El Spatula said:

That looks brilliant. Will buy on Steam! What's Ginga Force like?

Paging @Camel

 

 

[StoooTube]

Nah I can’t agree with that top 25, there’s no mention of Soukyugurentai. 

[Qazimod]

17 hours ago, Triple A said:

At the risk of turning this into a list thread

 

Too late!

 

My personal top 20 off the top of my head. I'm sure I've missed some.

 

1. Iridis Alpha  wait, I probably can't have that. Okay:

Sexy Parodius

Dangun Feveron

Under Defeat

Deathsmiles

Thunderforce III

Ikaruga

Parodius Da!

Layer Section

Salamander

Gradius V

R-Type Final

Strania: The Stella Machina

Psyvariar

Radiant Silvergun

Guwange

DBCS

Border Down

Muchi Muchi Pork

Triggerheart Exelica

[Camel]

11 hours ago, El Spatula said:

That looks brilliant. Will buy on Steam! What's Ginga Force like?

 

It's like game of the year 2013.

[Camel]

3 minutes ago, Qazimod said:

My personal top 20 off the top of my head. I'm sure I've missed some.

 

1. Iridis Alpha  wait, I probably can't have that. Okay:

Sexy Parodius

Dangun Feveron

Under Defeat

Deathsmiles

Thunderforce III

Ikaruga

Parodius Da!

Layer Section

Salamander

Gradius V

R-Type Final

Strania: The Stella Machina

Psyvariar

Radiant Silvergun

Guwange

DBCS

Border Down

Muchi Muchi Pork

Triggerheart Exelica

 

Whoop whoop a Triggerheart fan. Such a great game.

 

I spent a large part of last night playing Zero Gunner 2 on Dreamcast. Any fans here? I've always really liked it; I think partly because of the great pivoting controls but also because it feels manageable for a mortal like myself. It also looks amazing.

[ImmaculateClump]

12 hours ago, Stoikovich said:

Anyone able to suggest how to play Mars Matrix?

 

Shmupmame

 

11 hours ago, El Spatula said:

That looks brilliant. Will buy on Steam! What's Ginga Force like?

 

Ginga force is really, really good, and natsuki is even better, and then eschatos is like super silly-good, it's almost unbelievable! - https://store.steampowered.com/search/?developer=Qute

[englishbob]

2 hours ago, Qazimod said:

 

Gradius V

 

 

The long forgotten great shooter

[Triple A]

It is amazing.  And that Sakimoto OST!

Not far out of my top 5 shmups.

Ahead of its time visually, a HD port would do it wonders.

[ImmaculateClump]

That's fucking gorgeous, spoony!

I really like the graininess in that picture.

I was so upset when my beautiful CRT finally died and I had to buy a disgusting 60hz flat monitor.

I was so happy when that stoopid 3d fad came back and high refresh monitors started getting made again.

 

I spent half hour fighting Action Fish in stage 4 of g-darius last night, big red "fossil" thing. I'm assuming that's not normal and I have to figure out how to do the counter beam thingy?

I'll try tonight but I might come and ask for help if anyone knows how to do that.

I don't think I've got a button set to shot, I just assumed I'd be using rapid shot and capture ball, so I'll set a button for shot, maybe you hold that down.

[El Spatula]

Hah stage 2 boss of Hatsuki Chronicles is kicking my arse. Those green tracking beams are hideous to avoid.

 

Sure I've dealt with them in a Darius game but jesus they're tricksy.

[ImmaculateClump]

Oh yeah, they're easy once you get the hang of them, try going top left and tapping your way forward as they come, you'll go nose to nose with the boss eventually as you're misdirecting off the top of the screen, but you get plenty of time to get away before his next attack.

 

When you move up to hard mode, they turn a corner twice. That caught me out! I was doing my usual trick, inchy pinchying forward and got one right up the arris!