RACKET STGT - Week 2 - MARS MATRIX scoreboard

[dunpeal2064]

As far as I know, your exp rate determains the strength of your shot, but it increases exponentially the higher your item chain is. The goal would be to never drop your item chain, or at least to keep it going deep into each level.

[dsheinem]

Yeah, I just doubled that score and am still not sure how or why. My EXP was about double too, so I suppose that's good.

I'll mess around a bit more than go seek some guides, I guess. I've always appreciated the idea and the aesthetics of MM much more than the gameplay itself.

[mjmjr25]

Yes, dsh, that score is horrible. I think you can just crash into things to get that score.

I know this is STGT and I shouldn't discuss strategy, but I love this game and want others to as well.

Chaining is the name of the game. This game more than any other has the widest margin of survival vs. score. I can have a higher score at the end of stage 1 playing for score than at the end of stage 3 playing for survival.

From the start of stage 1 - start picking those guys off and grab each gold block, each single one is worht +1, then +2, etc. You have about a second in between when you can grab before it resets, this takes practice. Once you hit +45 you level up the first time. When you level up your shot power increases. There are 3 spots on stage 1 where you are likely to lose your chain, once you figure out the best way to not lose it, you'll mostly chain it through. This game also spawns additional enemies the faster you kill, the first example is after the 2 swarms of popcorn green ships, then the 8 red midsize ships, there is a grey rock on the upper left, if you kill it as it appears, there will be one 3" to the right, then another, then another. You'll see anywhere from 1 to 4 of them, depending on how quickly you kill.

Bosses can be killed for speed or you can pick them apart for big points. Much more dangerous to pick them apart of course, but if you picture them as big piggy banks, that is a good analogy, just poke holes in it.

You A button is your tap shot (main shot), or if you stop shooting 1 second, it become a one-time pulse cannon (more powerful shot), you also have your vacuum. This refills based on how quickly and how big the gold you collect. As it recharges it creates mini repellent around you and shoots back bullets that get near you - I think this is automatic and no way to control it, but I do know the better you are scoring the more often it happens.

Lastly, once filled, holding A creates a vacuum. You suck up bullets until the meter runs out (bottom left). If you hold it until it depletes fully, it will bomb the screen. Good for survival, not good for score. Instead, run around collecting bullets and before it depletes, push the opposite direction of where the enemies are, this will shoot all gathered bullets toward those enemies.

[ExedExes]

These are the levels for powering up (from Shmups forum) -

FIRST LEVEL : 0 points

SECOND LEVEL : 1k EP

THIRD LEVEL : 10k EP

FOURTH LEVEL : 100k EP*

FIFTH LEVEL : 200k EP

SIXTH LEVEL : 400k EP

SEVENTH LEVEL : 800k EP

EIGHTH LEVEL : 1.6M EP

*also awards an extend at 4th level.

[pierrot]

Okay. Not sure why or how, but I'm now, apparently, half way decent at this game. Maybe I really do need to play with a pad instead of an arcade stick. (Was using a ps3 analogue stick on this, though—)

7,629,237,890 - pierrot - Iranian Backed Hezzbullets - Stage 3 - MAME

[mjmjr25]

I can't play this right now. Too close on Pro Gear, just not working going back and forth. Going to dedicate this weekend to PG then i'll switch to Mars on Monday.

I'll put this in for now:

4,209,211,810 - mjmjr25 - Iranian Backed Hezzbullets - stage 3 - MAME

[foxhound1022]

Got this working totally fine on shmupmame, minus the bad rom download.

The 1-button mechanic is gonna take some getting used to, though.

Still "pre-programmed" to the 3 button layout.

[skate323k137]

Shmupmame cleared up almost all my issues. After that it turned out that my ps2 > USB adaptor was a little laggy. I tried my ps2 > 360 converter (xtokki) with my PC and it's perfect.

9,898,553,300 - skate323k137 - Team NES - stage 3 - shmupmame

[hashiriya1]

Maybe I really do need to play with a pad instead of an arcade stick.

That is how I roll.

[mjmjr25]

keep dying on stage 1 and resetting, however, I think I got all of the initial green popcorn enemies for the first time ever, my chain was at +60 when the red pods appeared, best i've ever done and I didn't see any fall past me.

EDIT: how is everyone else doing? I am just beefing it on stage 2. I have stage one down about as good as I think I can, but just completely falling apart trying to chain on the middle part of stage 2, too many single cubes and too far away I can't weave over - forcing it and dying, just think I might have to bomb those areas and give up the chain, see if I can fare better at the end of the stage where chaining is much easier. I'm getting out of stage 1 w/about 35000-40000 experience which I like. I pick apart the boss pretty well now, dodging the green lazers is tough at first, but the gold from the purple orbs is worth it. Stage 2 needs a ton of work. I've always found stage 3 easier than 2 for some reason, those slow single bullets just are much harder than the big swaths on stage 3. I think it's tied to the crazy speed of the ship...maybe i'll switch to mosquito one and see if it's worth the power loss to gain the slowdown.