What shmup are you playing now?

[wip3outguy7]

Damn Thunderforce IV is hard without the slowdown.

[brainerdrainer]

Parodius Da

[Balasubbie]

You don't have a general topic, so I feel it'd be best put here, but which of the following would be the better game to take a crack at on PSN, assuming you could only choose one?

Alpha Mission
T.N.K III
Vanguard II

[ExedExes]

You don't have a general topic, so I feel it'd be best put here, but which of the following would be the better game to take a crack at on PSN, assuming you could only choose one?

Alpha Mission
T.N.K III
Vanguard II

Alpha Mission by far. It's TOUGH, but you'll love it. Vanguard II I also enjoy, but it can become confusing because it's NOTHING like the original.

[Balasubbie]

You don't have a general topic, so I feel it'd be best put here, but which of the following would be the better game to take a crack at on PSN, assuming you could only choose one?

Alpha Mission
T.N.K III
Vanguard II

Alpha Mission by far. It's TOUGH, but you'll love it. Vanguard II I also enjoy, but it can become confusing because it's NOTHING like the original.

Thank you, sir.

[ExedExes]

Your welcome. I wish I knew more about TNK III, all I know is that SNK made that one, never played it. Alpha Mission II is also good. I wouldn't shy away from Vanguard II either, but it takes a bit of getting used to.

[Balasubbie]

Well, I'll say something in defence of save-features on PSN shmups: they're handy for a break so you can wince and cry.

Alpha Mission's a toughie. I've been playing Xevious 3D/G all week, so the pace wasn't all that unfamiliar to me, but AM tends to creep up on you in its screen-filling.

That said, I put some solid time into tonight, so I'm a fan.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Thunder Spirits on SNES.

Just got it last night, lots of fun so far.

What's weird is that the config menu is hidden. You have to press Select on the title screen and then push Start. Of course the first thing I did is turn rapidfire on and selected Easy mode.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Akai Katana.

Fun game, but I don't think I'll ever be sold on this bullet hell thing. Too much going on - it's like a sensory overload. I suck at stuff like this.

[skate323k137]

Akai Katana.

Fun game, but I don't think I'll ever be sold on this bullet hell thing. Too much going on - it's like a sensory overload. I suck at stuff like this.

That's a very difficult, but really fun game. Learning the mechanics (especially in slash mode) you can get out of a lot of jams. Learning the "gimmick" is key in most bullet hell shooters. With akai katana slash, using the orbs and katanas to clear bullets can keep you alive and spare your bombs.

I'm a lot better with vertical bullet hell shmups than horizontal. You have to learn your hitbox well. I kind of "zone out" and stare at the screen to see the patterns coming at me. If you start to focus too much on one bullet or pattern, something else will come along and kill you; It certainly takes some getting used to. Shikigami no shiro 2 is a good one to learn on, since the bullets move relatively slow compared with other bullet hell shmups.