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The Mega-Cave Shooter Post, because they're totally awesome and sweet

T

To Far Away Times

Member
I 1-ALL'd DoDonPachi Daifukatsu today. Final score 11.5 billion with B-S.

Yikes, that is a shitty score. Even by my standards. In fact, I think it might be my lowest scoring run since the first day I started playing. >_>

I kept getting up to the final boss and dying with 25% health left, so that was a little bit emotionally draining. Couldn't beat it last night, sitting upright, concentrating, and sitting close to the TV. Today I just kinda lied down on the couch and played it for the sake of playing it rather than trying to beat it. I ended up clearing the game with 6 bombs left after bomb spamming the last boss. lol. Some days are just better than others I suppose.

Anyway, this game is pretty easy for a cave game, but it still puts up a bit of fight. I certainly couldn't walk up and just destroy the game like some people. Stage 5 is something else.

Now on to Black Label and dat soundtrack.
 
L

luka

Loves Robotech S1
Congrats. :) When I started playing I completely ignored the scoring/chaining stuff and managed to clear it in like 3 days of serious survival play with C-strong. I autobombed in the first stage on that run as well. :p Glad I kept going. I can now consistently access the ura boss route and usually kill 3 of them before I fuck something up. Regardless I'm not sure if I'm going to touch 1.5 again. At the moment I'm playing Ver L almost exclusively while I wait for my black label disc.

Honestly I absolutely hated the BL OST at first, but listening to it more has really grown on me. Longhena cantata will be missed but the rest of it is so good.
 
T

Tain

Member
Black Label is nasty and awesome. I really haven't spent much time with either version of the game (stopped with 1.5 once I cleared it with Strong type), but when I go back, it'll be for Black Label. I don't think I even hit stage 5. :|
 
T

To Far Away Times

Member
luka said:
Congrats. :) When I started playing I completely ignored the scoring/chaining stuff and managed to clear it in like 3 days of serious survival play with C-strong. I autobombed in the first stage on that run as well. :p Glad I kept going. I can now consistently access the ura boss route and usually kill 3 of them before I fuck something up. Regardless I'm not sure if I'm going to touch 1.5 again. At the moment I'm playing Ver L almost exclusively while I wait for my black label disc.

Honestly I absolutely hated the BL OST at first, but listening to it more has really grown on me. Longhena cantata will be missed but the rest of it is so good.
Click to expand...

Thanks.

The Ura Boss route sounds pretty hard.

I remember really liking one of the arrange modes. Whichever one played like DOJ. That one was pretty cool. I think that was Ver. L.

Also, if I'm going to play a DDP game for score, this might as well be the one, as the scoring system seems flexible enough.
 
I

iconoclast

Member
Finally beat Espgaluda II; got 394,247,302 with Ageha. I've been playing it on and off ever since I got done with Akai Katana, so it took me a while to get through it. I'm glad I finally beat it, but I'm pretty disappointed with my run. I messed up a bunch of scoring areas and had a stupid death or two on stage 6, so I think I could get 450m or so. Oh well, I'll probably keep playing for a while longer.

Oh, and it's an awesome game. I didn't like it very much when it first came out, but I was still pretty terrible at shooters back then. I'd definitely recommend putting some time into it after leveling up on some easier games.
 
T

To Far Away Times

Member
iconoclast said:
Finally beat Espgaluda II; got 394,247,302 with Ageha. I've been playing it on and off ever since I got done with Akai Katana, so it took me a while to get through it. I'm glad I finally beat it, but I'm pretty disappointed with my run. I messed up a bunch of scoring areas and had a stupid death or two on stage 6, so I think I could get 450m or so. Oh well, I'll probably keep playing for a while longer.

Oh, and it's an awesome game. I didn't like it very much when it first came out, but I was still pretty terrible at shooters back then. I'd definitely recommend putting some time into it after leveling up on some easier games.
Click to expand...

Congrats. Espgaluda II is a pretty tough challenge and an awesome game.
 
A

adversesolutions

Member
iconoclast said:
Finally beat Espgaluda II; got 394,247,302 with Ageha. I've been playing it on and off ever since I got done with Akai Katana, so it took me a while to get through it. I'm glad I finally beat it, but I'm pretty disappointed with my run. I messed up a bunch of scoring areas and had a stupid death or two on stage 6, so I think I could get 450m or so. Oh well, I'll probably keep playing for a while longer.

Oh, and it's an awesome game. I didn't like it very much when it first came out, but I was still pretty terrible at shooters back then. I'd definitely recommend putting some time into it after leveling up on some easier games.
Click to expand...

Espgaluda II is indeed awesome, and way-underrated. Partially because it is so hard and requires so much commitment, coming out in a period where CAVE was releasing port after port. Wait til you start playing more Black Label, that is probably one of CAVE's best arrange modes ever, right under Akai Katana Shin for me.

Speaking of which...

::Checks achievement list::

Looks like you've still got that last 5 pointer remaining my friend ;D

I'll post up my strategy for it here (originally posted on shmups):

DragonInstall and I have both managed to get the no-change achievement. Been busy so haven't had time to post up.

I would say it's pretty goddamn hard. Probably most of its difficulty was wasting a bunch of time trying to no-nenshin clear Arcade Mode. I managed to get to the 2nd phase of the last boss, but that was with a near optimal run. This means that clearing Arcade Mode (on the port) without nenshin is near impossible.

Ignore that, the only mode this achievement is unlockable on is probably Shin Novice. You'll notice that most bullet patterns aren't much changed on bosses, but Stage 2 boss is more stable and in general you have much more room to breathe on the stages.

Crank your life setting to 4. This will give you 15 bombs total throughout the game.

Then follow this chart:

Stage 3 boss cleared -
At this stage if you have used more than 2 bombs or have died, reset.

Stage 4 -
You'll need to limit yourself to two bombs on this stage total. The stage can be stabilized.
One bomb on boss second phase, one on third phase. On third phase, drop to the bottom of the screen to negate the dense needle bullet pattern as it appears and just settle for hitting the boss with your option. Learn how to deal with the last laser/bullet pattern and use one bomb only.

Stage 5 -
You should have made it into this stage with four lives and one bomb, or none worst case. You will probably die on the mid-boss if you don't have a bomb. If you learn the section with the big mid-sized enemies mid-way through the stage, you can get through it without bombing, but you might die or have to bomb here. Try to take out at least two of the large laser-shooting planes without bombing. You should get to the boss with 3 lives and two or three bombs. Consider bombing on her first pattern because it can throw some really random shit at you. You can use several bombs here, but try not to drop below 3 lives. You will get an extend around this point.

Stage 6 -
You should enter this stage with 3 lives and several bombs, or better, 4 lives and no bombs. Stage is easy. Consider bombing on the mid-boss. Use at max 1 bomb on the rest of the stage (tank section). On the boss, one bomb for form 1, one for form 2, two for form 3.

Stage 7
Here's the unfortunate part: if you don't have a strong strategy against the Stage 7 boss, you will probably need 5 bombs for him alone. Two for form 1, two for form 2, one for form 3. But really one for form 3 is really pushing it.

I probably entered Stage 6 with 4 lives and one bomb, used the one bomb on the tank section only and used two on Stage 6 boss second form (one more than I recommend). This left me with exactly five for the Stage 7 boss and it was a small nightmare, which I managed to clear only by sheer grit on the last pattern.

tl;dr: shit is hard.
Click to expand...

WERCOME TO RED SWARD
 
R

Risette

A Good Citizen
Man, Daifukkatsu is awful. Not worth the wait. :( Well, I shoulda saw it coming. I tried to stay positive despite the things I knew & saw about it after DS2X surprised me by being awesome despite all the negativity, although it was still very ugly looking. DFK is very ugly and plays like a euroshmup. Barf.

Should I bother with BL?
 
T

totowhoa

Banned
I started getting back into DS2X again the other day, but I realized I still don't have a full grasp on the scoring system. I feel like I understand half of it, but I can tell I'm missing some pretty important bits. I tried looking for a tutorial but failed. I have to assume there's some kind of decent explanation out there?

The language barrier was the primary reason why I put it down initially since I couldn't get the system down. I figured there'd be a tutorial or two out there now so I could jump back in but I haven't found it.
 
Danny Dudekisser

Danny Dudekisser

I paid good money for this Dynex!
pizzaroll said:
Man, Daifukkatsu is awful. Not worth the wait. :( Well, I shoulda saw it coming. I tried to stay positive despite the things I knew & saw about it after DS2X surprised me by being awesome despite all the negativity, although it was still very ugly looking. DFK is very ugly and plays like a euroshmup. Barf.

Should I bother with BL?
Click to expand...

Well, have you tried Arrange A? Some DFK detractors really liked that mode a lot, since it's a lot more in line with DOJ.
 
L

luka

Loves Robotech S1
Chacranajxy said:
Well, have you tried Arrange A? Some DFK detractors really liked that mode a lot, since it's a lot more in line with DOJ.
Click to expand...

He hates espgaluda as well. Some people just can't be helped. :)

In all seriousness though, I think a lot of people are going in expecting a DDP game and getting something else. It's not so much DDP as it is a weird frankenstein's shump cobbled together with parts of DOJ, MHS, PS, etc. I guess arrange A is more appealing to most people because it plays more like people expect of a DDP game. Personally, I went in expecting the worst and being pleasantly surprised and the more I played I started appreciating how open-ended it's scoring is. For what it's worth, I think it's damn good looking too.

In other news, my futari LE and dfk BL discs just shipped. Jubilation!
 
T

Torraz

Member
Got dodonpachi resurrection today and I am hopelessly lose as a SHMUP newbie.

I've played a bit of touhou on the PC, a bit of deadsmiles and mushihime futari on the xbox 360. Sincce the console was gathering dust and zavvi had a nice price for dodonpachi (and I liked the cover art) I decided to buy it.

What mode should a newbie begin with? Xbox360 novice? Xbox 360 normal? Something else?

Which player/girl/ship type would be best?

DLC yes or no for a beginner?

Thanks
 
K

kaioshade

Member
I would recommend doing any of the novice runs in strong style. Type c, with hw very wide shot is also good for beginner players.
 
SOME-MIST

SOME-MIST

Member
pizzaroll said:
Should I bother with BL?
Click to expand...
probably not.. although black label is definitely my 2nd favorite game/version released this generation behind akai katana shin. I personally believe BL improves in nearly every aspect on ver. 1.5 in terms of customization (being able to turn autobomb on and off - which allows you to use your bomb stock as either a bomb or hyper), music, spreads, and difficulty. I personally prefer 1-loop games - it's what DFKBL is, but purists probably won't like that aspect of it.
 
P

PepsimanVsJoe

Member
Lambtron said:
It looks like on Amazon.jp that there's a reprint of Muchi Muchi Pork/Pink Sweets coming later this week. I really hope so, since it's the only RF release I still need, and I'm hating the prices on eBay for it.
Click to expand...

*PVJ looks*

Goddamn! Now I'm starting to wish I had just finished playing the shit out of this game and mastering it entirely so I could put it up for sale.

Wonder if this re-release is gonna include the code for that special version of MMP.
 
B

BOTEC

Member
Lambtron said:
It looks like on Amazon.jp that there's a reprint of Muchi Muchi Pork/Pink Sweets coming later this week. I really hope so, since it's the only RF release I still need, and I'm hating the prices on eBay for it.

And for anyone who hasn't bought DDP DFK yet, Zavvi has the euro release for £14.95 right now. Pretty killer deal.
Click to expand...

Is that still happening on the 9th? I saw that weeks ago, but since then it looks like the game was back in stock, and now there's one left with no discount. At that price, exchange rate+middle man doesn't add up to savings over importer markups.
 
Z

Zeth

Member
I need help with Espgaluda II and Deathsmiles. Got them on iPad/iPhone and I really love playing them, but I'm not sure which modes I should be playing and what kind of goals I should have. Phoenix HD is much more straightforward in that I just go for a high score and try not to get killed.

Should I just work on high scores for individual stages in Espgaluda II? I don't really get smartphone mode, Normal seems kinda easy and when I die I seem to have infinite continues.
 
J

jlevel13

Member
Zeth said:
I need help with Espgaluda II and Deathsmiles. Got them on iPad/iPhone and I really love playing them, but I'm not sure which modes I should be playing and what kind of goals I should have.
Click to expand...

The goal of the games are to try to complete them without using a continue and to get the highest score possible. Play whichever mode you enjoy. Have fun, etc...
 
L

luka

Loves Robotech S1
Most people start by just playing the games until they're good enough to complete it without using continues and push forward with refining their runs/scoring techniques from there. You can go hit up cave-stg or shmups forum which have pretty comprehensive strategy threads for most games to give you a good idea of what you want to be doing to make that number go up.

As for the different modes, just read up on what they're all about and play whichever seems fun to you. What you get out of these games comes down to what you put in, with a large helping of personal preference. Your goals are really whatever you want them to be. If you're satisfied in getting through espgaluda 2 with 3 credits, then there's nothing wrong with that.
 
J

Jonnyram

Member
Well, things are getting interesting now.
Apparently the sp.ONG guys actually visited the Cave offices, the Cave twitter links to the new sp.ONG article, which says that 360 and Vita versions of Akai Katana are coming to Europe next spring. With no dispute from the Cave side, I wonder if this is actually happening?
 
Xane

Xane

Member
I love Shmups where you can actually do something with your score and buy weapons and upgrades (Raptor: Call of the Shadows, Tyrian 2000, Jets 'n Guns, etc).
Shmups without this feature are barely any interesting for me tough. :/
 
J

jlevel13

Member
Jonnyram said:
Well, things are getting interesting now.
Apparently the sp.ONG guys actually visited the Cave offices, the Cave twitter links to the new sp.ONG article, which says that 360 and Vita versions of Akai Katana are coming to Europe next spring. With no dispute from the Cave side, I wonder if this is actually happening?
Click to expand...

Rising Star announced they were doing a release of Akai Katana in Europe a month or so ago (360 version), so that part is definitely true. Supposed to be out in Spring 2012, if I remember correctly.
 
I

iconoclast

Member
There's another interview on s.pong with Hideki Nomura (the director of the Akai Katana console port). http://*****.com/detail/editorial.jsp?eid=10110561&page=3

He outright says they're working on AKS for Vita, so I guess that's confirmed:

“For Akai Katana Shin on Vita, one of our goals is to reduce the number of buttons as much as possible. That’s one of the reasons we’re really focused on this twin stick aspect of the machine.”
Click to expand...

Too bad it sounds like it'll be bastardized. Unless that's just going to be an additional mode, like Death Smiles 1.1.
 
B

BOTEC

Member
Xane said:
I love Shmups where you can actually do something with your score and buy weapons and upgrades (Raptor: Call of the Shadows, Tyrian 2000, Jets 'n Guns, etc).
Shmups without this feature are barely any interesting for me tough. :/
Click to expand...

Check out Deathsmiles for iOS. You collect money and buy new equipment which increases defense and offense. Some items are microtransactions though. :(
 
A

A Huge Battleship

Member
I really oughta pick up DDP Res but all the videos I watch of it have the stage bosses dying in about a minute. The main enjoyment I get out of these things is in the boss battles so it's kinda turned me off.
 
Y

Yes Boss!

Member
_dementia said:
Yeah. Sucks about the one PSN account per Vita though. I don't know if I want a purely Japanese machine in regards to DLC.
Click to expand...
Have not really been following the Vita threads...so I'm gonna have to buy TWO machines, and ear-mark one as my J-system if I wanna do DLC??
 
C

Chiaroscuro

Member
_dementia said:
I think I read that you have to reformat everytime you need to switch accounts.
Click to expand...

This. And you cannot have the trophies in the same account, since to play DLCs you have to log in your japanese account.

I am not sure what I will do. Maybe I have to miss the DLCs and just play the main games.
 
I

iconoclast

Member
S.pong's interview with Tsuneki Ikeda is up now. There's nothing real interesting in it, but Ikeda interviews are fairly rare so I figured I'd post it anyway: http://*****.com/feature/10110562/Interview-All-Your-Base-Cave-CEO-Tsuneki-Ikeda

“I didn’t even have any concept that there were 2D shooting fans overseas until recently," Ikeda revealed.
Click to expand...

“It’s really tough out there though. Up until now arcade was the big, core platform. People would make the arcade game and then think about what to do with it afterwards, if anything. Now the arcade is regarded as simply one platform of many - a lot of developers simultaneously release their games on multiple platforms. We want to continue to be an arcade developer, but on the other hand we can’t tell the future.”
Click to expand...
 
I

iconoclast

Member
FFFFFFFUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKK

I was literally two pixels away from no missing Mushi Futari 1.5 Original. I died on one of the lightning fast purple bullets during Larsa's final attack, then spawned and finished her off immediately. I feel sick.

(score = 388,845,510 - ALL (Lx4) - N.Reco)
 
L

luka

Loves Robotech S1
1.5 was alright. Arrange A was pretty great. Black label is fucking GODLIKE. I'm getting spanked hard and loving it. Soooo much fun

Don't really have much to say beyond that. Bless you Yagawa. You've turned DFK into something genuinely awesome.

Daifukketsui is something else though. It's pretty fun but seems like a bit of a mess with ketsui's mechanics and scoring overlaid DFKs. Stars and medals and 10-chips E'RYWHERE. Can't even see the background most of the time. I'll have to play it a bit more...
 
B

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
New trailer for Bug Princess, aka Mushihimesama 1 (NOT FUTARI LULZ)

http://bit.ly/ulm7HG

Release Date: December 15 (less than 1 week!).

Price: Five Bucks (doesn't say anything about this being a temporary price... it is an older game, so perhaps that is why).

MUST BUY. obviously.

Oh and.... it's apparently a universal app!

(I believe that the iPad version of Espgaluda II was in HD, which is why that one was sold separately from the iPhone verison. I don't expect them to do that for this game, so it is nice of them to just include iPad + iPhone/Touch functionality in one app)
 
S

Shearie

Member
I asked this question about Bug Princess in the iOS game thread but I might as well ask it here too:

Shearie said:
What's the scoring system like for this game? I always liked Cave shooters since I think they have the best bullet patterns of any bullet hell shooters out there but I've never been into their scoring systems. I like simple scoring systems where you just kill and collect as much stuff as you can or a lenient chaining system like what's in Pixeljunk Sidecroller as opposed to the ultra strict chaining in DoDonPachi.
Click to expand...
 
S

sixteen-bit

Member
BocoDragon said:
New trailer for Bug Princess, aka Mushihimesama 1 (NOT FUTARI LULZ)

http://bit.ly/ulm7HG

Release Date: December 15 (less than 1 week!).

Price: Five Bucks (doesn't say anything about this being a temporary price... it is an older game, so perhaps that is why).

MUST BUY. obviously.

Oh and.... it's apparently a universal app!

(I believe that the iPad version of Espgaluda II was in HD, which is why that one was sold separately from the iPhone verison. I don't expect them to do that for this game, so it is nice of them to just include iPad + iPhone/Touch functionality in one app)
Click to expand...

Will buy.
 
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