a new awakening

[JohnBud]

all my life i have loved to play shooters. 2 buttons, fire and bomb

but about 3 years ago i played 1 of the most complete shooters to have ever graced a video cab "akai katana" another cave bullet hell masterpiece. unlike most 80s shooters there is a depth to this game which requires a deeper level of killing. i had a choice, buy the board at about £1k or try for a home port, the 360. im not a super gun kind of guy, so instead i bought a hacked lindbergh cab

at long last after a 3 year wait, i can now learn how to play these new types of shooters. i have been playing akai katana almost daily albeit maybe just a credit or 2. there are 3 versions of this game on the disc, i have opted to play the slash version. in the first few weeks my score was in the 40-50 million range, hitting out to level 3. however as my skills and knowledge of this game get honed, i can now hit 40-50 million on level 1. my top score at the moment is 226 million

but still the quest continues. im pretty sure i will be hitting the 400-500 million range soon, i just need to hump the level 4 boss. as with all the shooters i play, i tend to go for finishing levels to start off i.e. not for scores, but distance. when im at a stage when i know the levels, i then set to work. first thing to do is try and suss the patterns of bullets, and the way the artificial intelligence interacts with your game play. it can be very much, a soul destroying exercise. however as the skills increase and the scores start getting higher, then we have a game which should keep you occupied for yonks. so the moral of the story ??? you can teach an old dog new tricks. anybody up for some score chasing ??? i could do with some competition. oh and if i ever suss out how its done, i will post up a video of the game. im pretty sure i will still be playing this game in years to come, its that deep a game.

 

[trm]

I love the phrase "a deeper level of killing" and I'm gonna steal it!

 

[strykr]

Havent got into Ak yet despite owning it for a while, any other cave shooters your into John?

 

[IDCHAPPY]

Behind that deaf, one eyed stoner exterior lies the heart of a shooter king

 

[JohnBud]

@ tim, dig in mate

@ stryker, i enjoy most decent shooters, but im trying to get more into these "bullet hell" mothers.

@ idchappy, you forgot my lungs

tbh, until about 5 years ago, i wouldnt touch anything but classics, but that changed when i found naomi

bejeebers, the graphics and sound were awesome. the game play was also great, but only on par with a decent 80/90 shooter. these cave guys though, wow, it has taken the humble shooter, to a different level. these cave shooters are a puzzle "waiting to be unlocked" im at the stage where trying different techniques, either puts you up, or brings you down e.g. getting through level 3 with anymore than 1 ship is proving impossible at the moment. i know it can be done but where am i going wrong ??? the bullet patterns change, as do the bullets on screen. possibly i should suicide, before the level start. i can get to level 3 with either 3 or 4 ships, but by the end of the level, into stage 4, i always have 1 ship

its a real pity that we dont have any arcades today, surely these shooters would bring peeps back into the shooter genre.

 

[IDCHAPPY]

Be good to have a heart of gaming open up north

 

[strykr]

John, you have to play dodonpachi Dai Ou Jou and Ketsui you will crap yourself, they are awesome games. Mushihemesama and futari are also outstanding Cave bullet hell romps!

 

[JohnBud]

thanks to idchappy and the scots massives, ive managed to play quite a few cave shooters

i found ibara to be a bit mmm well non fun. i was unaware of the bombing style used to rack up scores, but i also felt that by chasing high scores, really the game was missed. when i had ibara in an egret2, both bomjac and jugemscloud showed me the bombing technique, but i just felt that the real game was missed. the high blood pressure gaming was missing, i will revisit ibara at some point. im not into cheating, so i dont as a rule check out the many vids on youtube. i mean what is the point in playing the exact way as you have seen another person do ??? for me the joy of a new game is completing a new level, seeking out new things to kill

i accept that im many years behind most folk, when it comes to the newer stuff. im finding "fortune favours the brave" to be a key phrase when talking about cave shooters. at times i find it difficult to explain the joys of a decent shooter, to mere mortals

most of the folk my age think im bonkers, but hey, i can live with that. ive owned most of the classics and still enjoy them now, but these new style jap bullet hell guys are a new adventure

new worlds to destroy, different species to wipe out. they also have wee lassies that flash the gusset, whats not to like

 

[IDCHAPPY]

Good score you got yesterday dude

 

[JohnBud]

i shouldnt have paused for a smoke, i kinda lost the momentum

broke into a different league yesterday, 309 mil 3 ships remaining at the start of level 5. paused for a wee break and lost the lot

if i can beat it once i can do it again. new high score 360 million.

there is a video on you tube, the guy is trying to get into the top 100, his score is 226 mil, humpered

 

[IDCHAPPY]

Just need to get a wee video camera set up and:
"Let's play CAVE"