The RGF Shmup League - Season #3 Game #2: taking nominations

[Mootown]

This is shaping up a little better. 3 votes for Axelay and 5 votes for Mushihimesama leading the race.

Few more interested parties and it could be game on!

Axelay is brutal and I suck at it, but I would like to change the latter.

I can actually complete Axelay with one credit on hard!

I *have* in my glory days (and when it was the only game I owned) looped it 6 times on 1 credit - the difficulty goes up each loop. Ok so I began on Easy, but then it moves to Normal, then I think Hard, then it goes up a few more times until those things that explode on stage 1 literally explode into a wall of bullets with no gaps. But I don't reckon I'll be that good now, this is like erm 15 years ago or something?

[Mootown]

This is shaping up a little better. 3 votes for Axelay and 5 votes for Mushihimesama leading the race.

Few more interested parties and it could be game on!

Axelay is brutal and I suck at it, but I would like to change the latter.

I can actually complete Axelay with one credit on hard!

I *have* in my glory days (and when it was the only game I owned) looped it 6 times on 1 credit - the difficulty goes up each loop. Ok so I began on Easy, but then it moves to Normal, then I think Hard, then it goes up a few more times until those things that explode on stage 1 literally explode into a wall of bullets with no gaps. But I don't reckon I'll be that good now, this is like erm 15 years ago or something?

[Sel Feena]

Balls. Don't have this one, will look forward to March's shmup. Deffo agree with including retro shmups, will allow people to play through..uh..other means than having a copy of the game.

What would you like to play Mr Sel Feena. I'd rather get you and others involved from the off.

Axelay sounds good to me, a fun game. Another vote for Deathsmiles from me, too!

[AmidstStorm]

Come on Mushi I hate Axelay!! Well the vert sections, the hori bits are sublime

There are hori sections? Ive honestly never seen the hori sections

[nakamura]

You need to get past the first level!
Six levels, 3 vertical and 3 horizontal, they alternate. Some of the bosses are sublime, as is the music. The OST on level 2 is incredible, especially in stereo and level 4 is epic, complete with echo effects.

[AmidstStorm]

@Misery -I think you're really going to struggle unless we're playing Cave. In regards to scoring that is. You have the perfect symptoms for caveitus. I have to admit, I'd happily play their games for the rest of my shmup days and I've not even looked into scoring on their titles yet.

I'm really up for some Psikyo titles. Gunbird 2 is really accessible. Strikers 1945? Dragon Blaze?

Axelay and Mushi tied at 5 votes. We need some other games to be mentioned and definitely more people involved.

[AmidstStorm]

You need to get past the first level!
Six levels, 3 vertical and 3 horizontal, they alternate. Some of the bosses are sublime, as is the music. The OST on level 2 is incredible, especially in stereo and level 4 is epic, complete with echo effects.

If we play it, then it will give me a chance to hammer my copy. I bought a boxed Super Famicom version off forum user Shinobi I think it was a few yrs ago. Just a game that I was put off by it's difficulty at first and an abundance of others games to play.

I'm thinking if this league goes ahead. How do people feel about the vote tally remaining open into the following months

eg. Mushihimesama 5 votes
Axelay - 5 votes
Xevious - 2 votes

If no one else votes ever, we start with Mushi and work our way down the list the following months, so Axelay would become game 2, Xevious game 3, etc.

[Misery]

@Misery -I think you're really going to struggle unless we're playing Cave. In regards to scoring that is. You have the perfect symptoms for caveitus. I have to admit, I'd happily play their games for the rest of my shmup days and I've not even looked into scoring on their titles yet.

I'm really up for some Psikyo titles. Gunbird 2 is really accessible. Strikers 1945? Dragon Blaze?

Axelay and Mushi tied at 5 votes. We need some other games to be mentioned and definitely more people involved.

Oh I'll do scoring in other games.... it's not just Cave I like (Eschatos, for example, frankly is better than NEARLY all of Cave's games). And I do in fact play traditional shmups..... currently it's Alpha Mission 2 I'm swearing angrily at, as those go.

But I do get bored fast. Hearing "Axelay loops alot" isnt helping. Never been fond of that idea since it makes a 20 minute shmup end up taking like 80. Hell, frankly I dont like the "loops" concept in Cave games either. It's one of the reasons why I rarely play Daifukkatsu's arcade mode and instead tend to just stick to Black Label and the Arrange modes. It's like, if I'm gonna play on "super duper murder doom hard" anyway, why do I have to loop the game 4 times to get there? I dont have that kind of patience.

Anyway, it just depends on the individual game. I'll do most shmups, but there ARE exceptions. Right now I'm thinking Axelay is one of them.


And I'll second the Psikyo bit as well. I've played their games to death. Any of those are good (mostly).

[gmintyfresh]

Sexy Parodius!!

Oops given away one of my choices AVSG

[joefish]

Sexy Parodius is great.

I like Gunbird and Gunbird II - that's about the most bullety thing I can handle. Tengai is awesome too. Though I do just keep shovelling credits in. Don't get on with Cave shooters (except Progear, which looks gorgeous, like a Miyazaki cartoon) but then I'm not into ridiculously complex scoring systems. I'm not much of a high-score chaser anyway. I think if it just keeps a count of how many things I've shot, and counts the big ones as double, that's fine by me. I just want to know what level I got to.

Personally I think the NeoGeo spoiled a few good series. Aero Fighters / Sonic Wings (as a vertical screen) is great, but the sequels on the horizontally-oriented NeoGeo screen play badly. Even worse is Ghost Pilots, where not only is the screen horizontal but it scrolls sideways too (and by the way, that's on a vertical shooter)!

How about some stuff that isn't so popular, like Raiga or Saint Dragon? Don't worry, I'm still crap at these but it would lend some variety if it was a game a lot of people could get but haven't tried yet.

As for people who might cheat and use save states; may I just point out that you're asking for a digital photograph as evidence?

[Sel Feena]

^ Maybe there could be a nomination for 'lesser known', easily acquired shmups to play each month as well. Would be fun to discover new games as a group and post our thoughts on them.

[SJ_Sathanas]

I would vote for Axelay but I'm really bad at it and would likely get "pwnd"...

[Smraedis]

Ooh, I know you. Seen your name before in a few places.

You can beat that score, yes? I know you do alot of shmups. I seen your Youtube channel, heh. I say, it's always good to meet another Youtuber that actually puts up shmup-related videos! Aint enough of those. Some games more than others of course.

I dont think it's all that great a score to begin with, mind you. Do feel free to leap over it, lol.

I'll be trying to improve it of course, but I need to stop crashing into things first.

Hint: Ramming the boss of a stage does not, in fact, give you 20 billionty points. It just kills you. This brings up the question of why I keep doing it anyway.

Happy to hear someone knows of me!
Yeah, my best score is higher than that, but I haven't felt like I'm good at the game, I prefer the first Mushi, and Futari arrange ultra

What about 1944 or 1943, anything I'm not good at yet?

[weakboson]

This is such a good idea I signed up to take part. I'm surprised there isn't something like this going down on shmups.com.

I suggest we play Psyvariar Revision at some point. I admit, it's a game I've spent a lot of time on, but I think it's really under appreciated.

[Misery]

This is such a good idea I signed up to take part. I'm surprised there isn't something like this going down on shmups.com.

I suggest we play Psyvariar Revision at some point. I admit, it's a game I've spent a lot of time on, but I think it's really under appreciated.

I know how negative this will sound, but they're usually too busy screaming at each other over there to do things like this. I cant see them even deciding on a game without shouting about it.

Happy to hear someone knows of me!
Yeah, my best score is higher than that, but I haven't felt like I'm good at the game, I prefer the first Mushi, and Futari arrange ultra

What about 1944 or 1943, anything I'm not good at yet?

Yeah, I never felt like I'm that good at it either, hah. Well, god mode maybe, but not original.

And the first Mushi is damn fun, isnt it? Though I never cared for the scoring system much (chaining, sigh). Can only play it on iOS too, right now.... I've long since lost my import-capable PS2. I personally prefer Futari.

and... Arrange Ultra, really? That mode seemed..... I dunno, seemed like you have to sit in one spot and just keep bouncing bullets back a million times. I dunno if maybe I missed some aspect of the scoring for that particular mode. I admit I didnt mess with the arrange modes in Futari too much, I got overly sucked into Black Label.