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I vote that we keep things the way they are. If we don't like a month, then we don't play it for that month. It's already the 11th, it's not like time is dragging on forever...not like those summers back in elementary school...

noiseredux wrote:

brunoafh wrote:Random idea, how about user with the most high scores gets to pick the first game of the year next year?

or you could go a step further and do it like this: Jan 2011 highest scorer picks the Jan 2012 game, Feb 2011 high scorer picks the Feb 2012 game, etc.

Hmmm....Good idea...BUT, how about we add some consolation prizes, like a bonus round or two?

How about we select the top two HI-SCORERS from the shmup of the month club. And then we add two additional rounds to the club--one for summer break, and one game for winter break. And let each winner picks the game everone plays during the breaks.

Noting serious, just for fun.

dunpeal2064 wrote:As far as active voters goes... well, thats shmups for you. Its much easier to buy a shmup, vote for a shmup, and talk about playing a shmup than it is to actually play it. These games are brutal, and there will always be folks that don'
t have the time/patience or enjoy the game enough to push through with it.

o.pwuaioc wrote:I vote that we keep things the way they are. If we don't like a month, then we don't play it for that month. It's already the 11th, it's not like time is dragging on forever...not like those summers back in elementary school...

Both these points I totally agree with. I could talk up a storm about all kinds of shmups I played but I don't visit them as much as I talk about them, well, because I enjoy all sorts of games, as the regular Together Retro threads would demonstrate.

Also, I do play the monthly shmup nearly every day if I have the time, but I'm not gonna reach a new score plateau every time I play either. There are nights I play multiple times and not get anywhere, but enjoy the experience, as all of us should. This thread doesn't need to be active every day, and we're only on day 11, and Dunpeal posted a fantastic score to compliment mine.

Not everyone is gonna love the game we have every month, but as a shmup fan if I can play it, I'm more than willing to give it a try. No guarantees on my play-ability on it, but I always leave respecting the game very much (see Dragon Blaze, ZxZ, and Dimahoo, games I never had played before).

I respect Metal Black a lot, because for 1991 it really took a leap forward on graphics and style. The beam-duels are a lot of fun, the close calls I encounter many times, and I like scraping the beams from the top and bottom to take out all sorts of enemies. Not every shmup will be everyone's cup of tea, but for something that we put together in about a month, from conception to voting in an entire year's worth of games, is pretty impressive and shows our collaborative effort and overall dedication to this. Plus, it's nice to see horizontal shmups get some love too.

I find it interesting that level 3 shot is noticably the strongest. Each level after that, the shot gets wider but weaker. I find myself only powering up to 3 coming into the 2nd boss, and he dies much faster.

This game seems overly simple at the start, but the more I play it the more in-depth it feels, but in a different way than any other shooter I've played.

It really feels like an art shmup, from the odd lack of power ups/speed change, to the way you have to determain how to approach certain ground enemies while they reload.

dunpeal2064 wrote:I find it interesting that level 3 shot is noticably the strongest. Each level after that, the shot gets wider but weaker. I find myself only powering up to 3 coming into the 2nd boss, and he dies much faster.

Level 3? Really now, that would be good. Tired of losing 2-3 lives on Stage 2.

Which spots are gettin ya? I was working on a no miss route for stage 2 all weekend, just now starting to get to stage 3 with lives in tact.

Those space silo things that come from behind you near the end of the stage, followed by those silver fish that shhot diagonally gave me the most trouble.

dunpeal2064 wrote:Which spots are gettin ya? I was working on a no miss route for stage 2 all weekend, just now starting to get to stage 3 with lives in tact.

Those space silo things that come from behind you near the end of the stage, followed by those silver fish that shhot diagonally gave me the most trouble.

I can handle the silos, but the diagonal shots are a bitch.

Once that moon is a bit on screen, I bomb there. Then level up to 3, and take the boss on. While he's offscreen I grab powerups, then I bomb him once his 3 balls and little eater thing are out, to bring him near death and get points for the eater and all the balls.

The hard part for me was sliding backwards between the third set of diagonal shoiting fish, while scraping that evil silo. If I can make it through there, I'm golden.

dunpeal2064 wrote:Which spots are gettin ya? I was working on a no miss route for stage 2 all weekend, just now starting to get to stage 3 with lives in tact.

Those space silo things that come from behind you near the end of the stage, followed by those silver fish that shhot diagonally gave me the most trouble.

That would be it, that very last part. I know you can fly in between them, and I just finish the rest off after the big missiles with a beam since there's plenty of Newalone to collect when the boss appears. Diagonal shots are killer. Will try again soon and hopefully see more Stage 3, and I'll see if the Level 3 beam is in fact more effective.

Well, the beam isn't more effective, but your shot power will be higher!