RF Generation Message Board

Normally, we'd wait until the December news post to announce the game for January. However, we wanted to give everyone extra time to acquire a copy, because it's an import title. In January, the RF Generation Shmup Club will be taking on our first Cave shooter, Ketsui! Known by its full title, Ketsui: Kizuna Jigoku Tachi, and with the more recent PlayStation 4 release, Ketsui Deathtiny. It's also seen release on the Nintendo DS, as a boss rush, known as Ketsui Death Label. The original arcade game saw release on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in Japan, the former version of which is region free, as is the DS game, and the newer PS4 release, which is part of the M2 ShotTriggers line. Currently, there's no way to purchase the game digitally from any US markets, such as PlayStation Network, or Xbox Live, so a physical release is the only way to go with this title, at the moment. Thankfully, both the PS3 and PS4 versions are not only region free, but also readily available via Amazon, Play Asia, Nin Nin Game, and other online retailers, for a reasonable price.

We also wanted to make sure that we gave our first Cave title its due, not only because the developer is legendary in the shooting game scene, but also because their games have a reputation for complexity and intricate scoring mechanics. Ketsui is no different. During the entirety of 2020, we'll be playing Ketsui as a primary score competition game. We'll still have the monthly games to play, and try to score as best as possible during that time, but because Ketsui will take more time to master, we're hoping players will join in during the course of the year, and post scores for the game throughout the year. We want to give everyone ample opportunity to learn the game, and master the play and scoring mechanics, so we'll keep a thread going on the forum, to continue to discuss the game, share tips and strategies, and give everyone a place to share their scores. This new approach will hopefully encourage players to really dig into the game, and learn it at a level we wouldn't normally do, since we only focus on most games for a month at a time. We hope you'll consider joining us in January, and throughout 2020, as we dive deep into Cave's Ketsui, and get the most out of this game! More information will follow with the official news release post in December.

Just one last note to also mention that emulation is okay for this competition! We definitely encourage everyone to buy a copy of the game, especially the new PS4 release, to help support M2's efforts in bringing more of these games to modern platforms. However, for those who don't currently have the means, we will neither discourage, nor disqualify anyone, because emulation is their only option.

Ketsui PS3 (region free) via Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Ketsui-Kizuna-Shigokutachi-Extra-Regular-4924897011/dp/B00BY020D0/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=ketsui+ps3&qid=1573571340&sr=8-1) | Play Asia (https://www.play-asia.com/ketsui-kizuna-jigoku-tachi-extra/13/706aap) | Nin Nin Game (https://www.nin-nin-game.com/en/ps3-new-games/5530-ketsui-kizuna-jigokutachi-extra-standard-edition-ps3-en-4582325378485.html)

Ketsui Deathtiny PS4 (region free) via Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Ketsui-Deathtiny-PLAYSTATION-JAPANESE-VERSION-4/dp/B07G8PXQ9K/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=ketsui+ps4&qid=1573571406&sr=8-1) | Play Asia (https://www.play-asia.com/ketsui-deathtiny-kizuna-jigoku-tachi/13/70c0yh) | Nin Nin Game (https://www.nin-nin-game.com/en/ps4-new-games/29850-ketsui-deathtiny-kizuna-jigoku-tachi-first-press-edition-ps4--4589664270029.html)

Ketsui Xbox 360 (NOT region free) via Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Ketsui-Kizuna-Jigoku-Tachi-Xbox-360/dp/B001C3MKTI/ref=sr_1_2?crid=37KYER7MPMVDS&keywords=ketsui+xbox&qid=1573571461&sprefix=ketsui+%2Caps%2C184&sr=8-2) | Play Asia (https://www.play-asia.com/ketsui-kizuna-jigoku-tachi-extra/13/70347l) | Nin Nin Game (https://www.nin-nin-game.com/en/xbox-360-new-games/2111-ketsui-kizuna-jigokutachi-extra.html)

There's also the Ketsui Death Label release for Nintendo DS, which is region free, but isn't the full game. It's a boss rush, based on the arcade game. That will be allowable for scoring as well, in its own separate category. However, since that version has become prohibitively expensive, we will not be focusing on it.

Participants:
MetalFRO
Addicted
infamous2117
zoydo
kz_the_kusoplayer
ze_ro
Dingo
shamanix
dtungsten
Biscuit Thief
Zkibu86
Jonster

Update 2-20-2020:
The leader board is finally here! I have been working on getting this done over the last couple weeks, making sure I had everything right. As of this post, I believe the scores are all accounted for, and the order should be correct. For each category where one has participated, their highest score will be reflected, and their position on the leader board will reflect the most recent score, as soon as I see updates, and can get them posted in the spreadsheet. Scores will ONLY be edited and posted on the board by either MetalFRO or Addicted. As normal, post your screenshots here, and as we see them, we will update the spreadsheet accordingly. If you have any questions, suggestions to improve the document, or need clarification on anything, please let us know. Also, please read the Rules & Guidelines tab in the spreadsheet before posting any questions about the list, to make sure we're not answering any questions already addressed. Thank you all for your patience, and let's keep those scores coming!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JnZ4vZsBv4cgIMa1XKFy5OxqYULGPZNVMTjOAD9EDeY/edit?usp=sharing (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JnZ4vZsBv4cgIMa1XKFy5OxqYULGPZNVMTjOAD9EDeY/edit?usp=sharing)

Great choice, a worthy takeoff to 2020! I, ll be there.

Edit: Just realized it's not just the january game, but an ongoing competition throughout the year. (reading properly helps...)
Even better!
I really like the idea, looking forward to it.

Glad to hear it! I think this is going to be a great addition to the Shmup Club, and a nice way to keep folks engaged month to month, when there are games they either don't have, or aren't participating in.

I ordered the PS4 version the other day from Nin-Nin... it was "on sale" for $65 CAD, which was a good bit cheaper than Play Asia was asking. I'm pretty terrible at these games, but with a full year to work at it, maybe I can manage to not embarrass myself too much.

--Zero

Excellent! We will, as with the other games, announce the "winner" for January's scoring, but yes, if you're looking more to try and hone your skills in the game and score better, then having all of 2020 to work on it should help with better overall mastery. I'm hoping the same will be true for most of us :D

In modern gaming vernacular, those who aren't familiar with shoot-em-up conventions often refer to them all as "bullet hell" games. However, the term has a much more narrow scope than all of scrolling shooters. Some consider Toaplan's swansong Batsugun to be the genesis of the genre, and games developed by companies whose staff was formerly of Toaplan, such as Raizing, Takumi, and Cave, have frequently been given that label. However, one developer stands tall in the crowd, and has worn the danmaku, or "bullet hell" crown proudly. Japanese studio Cave, with development often led by Shinobu Yagawa, has produced some of the most well recognized and respected games in the genre, and certainly continued to wave the flag for shmups, well after their commercial viability as a genre had been called into question. Though they haven't released a new shooting game for several years now, as the shmup genre is celebrating somewhat of a renaissance, they remain relevant as the go-to for many hardcore players, because their games are considered to be of the highest quality.

January 2020 marks the first Cave game explored by the RF Generation Shmup Club, and our debut look at their catalog begins with none other than Ketsui: Kizuna Jigoku Tachi. Released in arcades in 2003, the game took the familiar military trappings of Cave's previous DoDonPachi series of games, but took the game in a different direction, mechanically, and in terms of the specifics for scoring. With a greater emphasis on point blanking enemies, and a limited range focus laser weapon with lock-on capabilities, Ketsui has a different feel than Cave's previous military-themed shooters, and that makes it fairly unique in the Cave canon. A special boss rush version was made for the Nintendo DS in 2008, called Ketsui Death Label. The game received an Xbox 360 release in Japan in 2010, and saw release on the PS3 in 2013. In 2018, prolific studio M2 ported the game for their ShotTriggers line, to the PlayStation 4. Not only did they bring the arcade version fully intact, but also included the IKD 2007 soundtrack, and a new mix by famed composer Virt, aka Jake Kaufman. In addition, they created a new mode for the game, titled "Deathtiny" that changes the mechanics and scoring. It gives the game play another dimension, and provides even more replay value to this already impressive game. Come join the RF Generation Shmup Club in January 2020, as we explore Ketsui: Kizuna Jigoku Tachi!

We're also starting a new tradition in 2020, as our January title will also be our year-long score focus! We'll continue to play a different game each month, and will tally scores at the end, so that aspect remains. But because of the complexity of a game like Ketsui, which will take players longer to acclimate to, and longer to master, we want to make sure that everyone has plenty of time to get good at the game, and allow for participants to really maximize their ability to score well in the game. Throughout the year, we encourage everyone who is playing the game to continue to post score progress, share strategies, and talk about the game. We hope this will be a fun way to keep everyone engaged throughout the year, and that more people will join in the fun!

Here are some good resources about Ketsui, for those who may be less familiar, or those who might be on the fence about the game.

Hardcore Gaming 101 article (pre-PS4 release) (http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/ketsui/)

Ketsui: Deathtiny PS4 release menu translation guide (courtesy of the Shmups forum) (https://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=65515)

Ketsui strategy guide (courtesy of the Shmups forum) (https://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=5123) - Lots of great information in this guide!

I realize we're a little over 2 weeks out, but I wanted to make sure everyone had an opportunity to read up on the game, in case there were any questions.

Im in on this one, Will probably stick to Deathtiny mode.

Welcome aboard! Deathtiny mode is a ton of fun, so I don't blame you for that. It will be good to get some perspectives on Deathtiny specifically, rather than just the standard arcade mode.

This may be helpful for anyone participating in the January Shmup Club game, Ketsui, who don't speak Japanese, but are going to jump in and play the PS4 port. Some helpful hints from Mark_MSX of The Electric Underground podcast, and interesting info about the game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to263mPHFEM

Dropping the STG Weekly issue/episode that covers Ketsui as well. They typically do a great job of going into the games they cover, and getting into the weeds on technique, as they watch and analyze/comment on a super play run or two. I haven't watched this one yet, but I hoping to do so soon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lnAGi4cMQc

Hello everyone and happy new year. :)

I had a good run yesterday, which resulted in a new PB, so i'm throwing in my first score (Stage 3 Boss).

[img width=500 height=281]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49315091767_9a5b3161b8.jpg[/img]

I also did a no miss in Super Easy mode, which got me my last trophy plus the platinum trophy. Usually i don't care much about trophies or achievements, but when i come close to platinum i might grab it (and this one is very doable).

[img width=400 height=176]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49314895316_a1f5b53236_w.jpg[/img]

Excellent to see you already playing! Was the above score in Arcade mode, standard difficulty?

Yes it's the Arcade mode. You can see the mode in the upper left corner, above the score. :)


Mark mentioned in his review video, that CloudyMusic did a translation of the menues for the shmups forum. It also explains how the "Kizuna Mode" works.
You can check out here:

https://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=65515

Both the video and the translation might be very helpful getting startet with the game.

Thanks for sharing that, zoydo! I'll have to check that out.

I wanted to share this video from Mark_MSX, that shows off his 1-ALL of Ketsui. It's not a scoring run, just a survival run, but it has some useful stuff to watch. Also, he talks about overcoming the mental blocks associated with improving in shmups, which I know many of us (myself included) suffer from. There's some good advice in the video, so give it a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tavaKhh4Tus

Made it to stage 1-4 for the first time yesterday. I felt like i'm playing a little too aggressive without knowing the stages and patterns good enough, so i allowed myself to throw some bombs and play a little more laid back, which worked out good for survival but cost me some of them precious 5-chips.
Anyway got a new PB. :)

Arcade
[img width=500 height=281]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49339465506_ffb7f1fd79.jpg[/img]

Also managed to break the 200mil in Deathtiny Arrange.
[img width=500 height=281]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49339687787_8069093134.jpg[/img]

And i played a first score for Super Easy mode:
[img width=500 height=281]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49339687857_d3f1213451.jpg[/img]

Great stuff, zoydo! Glad to see you digging into this one. I didn't get much time to play over the weekend, due to various things, but I'm hoping to dive in this week a lot more.

Stage 3 is still the gatekeeper.

[img width=700 height=854]https://i.imgur.com/SaA2rIe.png[/img]

Is that a straight run, from stage 1 through to 3?

Yes.

@kz_the_kusoplayer: hi, good job man! :)

Yesterday i had a pretty good and clean run until right before the stage 3 midboss. Got hit, lost my groove and immediately got hit again, got nervous and screwed the rest of stage 3 completely. Still made it to the boss and got a new PB (Arcade).

[img width=700 height=393]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49361083107_0fbcfda3a1_b.jpg[/img]

Nice work, zoydo! I started last night with some serious grinding in Stage 1. I changed the mapping of some buttons on the PS4 pad, so I could have Pause and Reset configured, so I'm trying to hardcore learn the routes in Stage 1 so I can no-miss, no-bomb that semi consistently. Once I'm comfortable with that, I plan to savestate and move on to stage 2. I really want to get to where I know the stages well before I move on. I might not have the best route or technique for scoring yet, but I think this method will help me to know and understand the flow for each level a lot better. My best score in a full run so far is 12.7 million, which puts me just shortly after the stage 2 midboss. I'll post a photo later, when I can improve upon that in a full run.

Every time I finish Ketsui stage 1 it's nerve wracking.

Score update.

Arcade Mode:
[img width=700 height=393]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49372095181_10a85d9f63_b.jpg[/img]

Not my best run for stage 1 and 2. Lost one life in stage 1 and started bombing in mid stage 2 already. Still made it to the stage 4 midboss and crossed 40mil. for the first time.

Deathtiny Arrange:
[img width=700 height=393]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49371641898_5cc532e5cd_b.jpg[/img]

@kz_the_kusoplayer: same here. Whenerver i have a clean finish of stage 1 i start getting nervous at the beginning of stage 2. It's even worse after finishing stage 2 without losing life. That's when stage 3 destroys my nerves completely. I think i had my best takes on stage 3 when i already screwed somewhere in stage 1 or 2 and wasn't expecting anything from playing on. :D

@MetalFro: thanks! I strongly recommend the "Arcade Challenge" mode for practicing. It's a nice alternative to the savestate method and it let's you change the difficulty of the sections you want to practice. So you can learn every "section" of the stage properly and then learn the stage as a whole.

[img width=700 height=894]https://i.imgur.com/iTeeXEz.png[/img]

Stage 1 PB!

Wow! Great job, KZ! I think the most I've managed to eek out of Stage 1 was 10 million, and that was a miracle. Most of the time I'm in the upper 6 million range when I get to the boss, and end up somewhere around 7-8 million when defeating it. I definitely need to watch some more videos, and see what boss strats I can pick up on.

Ok. I will join in on the fun cause why not. I've played very little so this will give me some incentive to put in a bit more time.

Most of the time high scoring stage 1's will try to do some boss milk. You can milk the heli's side pods and time their destruction to get 5chips off the missiles it shoots out.

Welcome aboard, Dingo!

Regarding the boss milk, I initially tried some of that, but was having trouble with the boss. Now that I have better command of the game, and a better understanding of the boss, it might be worth revisiting, to try and maximize my scoring in stage 1.

@kz_the_kusoplayer: that's a pretty awesome stage 1 score! I'm usually around 11mil. Really need to start learning to milk the boss.

Hi, new guy here.
Casual player who really enjoys the podcast and thought since i have this for PS3 i would play along this month, but this game aint no cakewalk!
The bullet patterns are so chaotic it makes it really difficult for me, can't even get through stage 2 on easy mode hehe.

Do you guys play arcade mode or x mode? X mode seems easier to score high, atleast at this point.
Start with 3 ships? Also difficulty and extends on standard settings? Are there any rules?

The only thing i figured out yet is to shoot the enemies close range for higher score, something to do with the chips getting higher, what they do to the score i don't really know but close range equals high scores it seems.

Will maybe post some scores later if i can get somewhere. :)
Good luck to you all.

I don't have the PS3 release (yet), so I'm not familiar with X mode, but if you want to play that, go for it! Just make sure you note which mode you're playing, when you post your screenshots. And yes, the key to scoring is point-blanking enemies, to get the 5 chips. In a nutshell: shoot a couple enemies at close range to set your chip counter to 5, and then switch to focus shot right away for other enemies in the group to keep that chain going, and continue to get 5 chips, even if you need to pull back to dodge bullets. Rinse and repeat, and that's the basic approach. There's more nuance to it, but that's the core mechanic. Also, welcome to the site, and welcome aboard! Glad to have another player in the mix, and thanks for listening to the podcast!

Hi MetalFRO and thanks for the advice, i noticed this mechanic when playing last night and working on balance between letting some enemies stack up for chaining and not letting too many of them start to shoot or it will be hard to dodge all the bullets. I think there are other mechanics at play here aswell, something to do with the lock-on but think i will deal with that later on. I feel this game grows on you.

For consistencies sake i started to play on default settings all around.
Arcade mode
Normal difficulty
3 ships
extends 1st 20 000 000 2nd 45 000 000

So far i have just gotten 5 376 804 points this way, dying on stage 2 hehe, but I'm working on it!
Inspired by the scores posted before in the thread, 40 mil, wow great work.

ps. How do you guys recommend grabbing screenshots? Use a camera on the tv is what im thinking.

Best stream run from Tuesday:

Looks like you're doing well!

Yeah, I pretty much just use my phone to grab a photo of my TV, and I usually drop it in the RFG Discord in the #shootthecorecast channel, then I download it to my PC and add it to the post. If you type in your text, and hit the Preview button, the next screen that comes up has an "Additional Options..." link you can expand, which allows you to browse your computer to add a photo.

I managed to get a new high score in Arcade, and even though I didn't reach the Stage 2 boss this time, it's still improvement. I'm finding more ways to milk 5 chips from enemies, to better my score. I'm also taking myself off the moratorium on bombing. It's not as detrimental to your score, and I want to progress further.

@MetalFRO: good job, that's a nice score before reaching the boss!

@shamanix: Hey shamanix and welcome! ✌🏻😊

I usually take screenshots with the share button (PS4), upload them and embed them here in the thread (or post em via twitter). Easiest way might just be taking a photo with cam or smartphone.

What i know from X-Mode is, that you need to shoot the marked enemies to get bullet cancels and start the chip-counter. After that, shoot small enemies with focus shot and you will get chips as long as the counter is counting down. You can chain between the marked enemies to keep the counter going.
You can also wipe the tiny pink bullets with your focus shot.

@kz_the_kusoplayer: awesome score man! It's more than twice of my PB at the same stage. :D Just great scoring!

I realised i need to focus on survival for a while and find some good routes and make it past stage 2 :) then work on the scoring.
I get thru stage 1 with no death and no bomb so its coming along!
Sorry no screens yet but really low score anyhow so, will post photos on next post promise.
So far..
Arcade Normal 9 303 124.
Have a great weekend all.

@kz Awesome score man.
@MetalFRO Yours are pretty awesome too :)

I'm super frustrated at my scores actually. My individual level scoring puts me at 95-97m after stage 3 so I'd really like to get that in a full run. After that I'll go for 130m after stage 4.

@zoydo - X-Mode must be on the PS3/360 release, as it's not included on the PS4 port, as far as I can tell. I'm curious to hear more about that, because I don't own that version...yet ;)

@shamanix - sounds like you're already making great progress, if you can no-miss/no-bomb stage 1, and that's a great early score! Definitely looking forward to watching your progress as you get deeper into Stage 2.

@kz_the_kusoplayer - yeah, I know it's frustrating, but keep in mind, you're well on your way to the Ura loop scoring requirement with that, so unless you're looking to wring absolutely every possible 5 chip out of loop 1, I wouldn't get too hung up on it at this point. There's always room for optimization. Always.

Finally got around to starting on this one... Still trying to get a feel for the controls and attack patterns and whatnot, focusing more on staying alive rather than scoring... My best arcade mode score is a measly 6.2m at the moment. Strangely, I seem to have more trouble with the mid-level bosses than with the actual bosses.

I tried out Deathtiny mode a bit too, but I have no clue what the strategy is here. Need to do a bit more research to figure this out... seems a heck of a lot easier though, and I was able to get to level 5 with a score of 114m.

For the hell of it, I tried out Super Easy mode too, and it's definitely as advertised... managed to finish the game on a single credit on the first try. Nice to at least be able to see each of the levels so you know what you can expect, but the bullet patterns are nothing compared to the real thing so it's not like this is even valid practice.

--Zero

I've been playing this too, don't have any scores handy to report at the moment, but I will. I have one question, though, could someone explain how to get this trophy on the PS4 version? It's the only one I don't know what to do to get.

絆グランドマスター
絆育成モードで全員のグラフィックをアンロックした

Google translate returns this in English:
Kizuna Grand Master
Unlocked everyone's graphics in bond development mode

Thanks!

@dtungsten - this is all I have been able to find: https://forum.psnprofiles.com/topic/68402-i-need-help-with-trophy-%E7%B5%86%E3%82%B0%E3%83%A9%E3%83%B3%E3%83%89%E3%83%9E%E3%82%B9%E3%82%BF%E3%83%BC/


There's still validity to running through Super Easy Mode a couple times, if only to see initial enemy placement, so you can at least begin to plan routing, once you reach the later stages in Arcade. Plus, even though you know it's really easy, it can still be a bit of a lift to get a 1CC in that mode, if Arcade is punishing you pretty hard. Regarding Deathtiny strategy, this thread has a quick and dirty guide:

https://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=63694

@MetalFRO

Thanks, that's actually helpful, as I didn't know what the requirement was. Now I have a target to shoot for. This release of the game is designed and built as a trainer, as I suspected during one of your streams. I still can't get very far in the game, but to my surprise, I have improved and gotten higher scores as I continue to play it. I say to my surprise, because I think to myself, "that's impossible, even for a computer!" I don't know how I'm doing it, but I'm doing it. I like the many different modes available. The Arcade Challenge mode and the Bond Development mode are the best for practicing. I haven't gotten a no-miss clear in Super Easy mode, so there is still plenty of reason to play that mode.

Sent from my LGUS997 using Tapatalk

I was kind of thinking along the same lines - it would be cool to do a no-miss, no-bomb in Super Easy Mode, and really go for the gusto with scoring, because I bet you could do some pretty high scoring in that, even though it's just a single loop. There's enough breathing room with most of the bullets and patterns that it would be very doable to really route that well, and get 5 chips on most enemies, if not most mid-bosses, and even bosses. That sounds like a fun challenge.

@dtungsten: should be the trophy you earn for completing "Kizuna Mode".
It's the mode in the lower right corner of the mode selection screen. You have to complete challenges to earn "Kizuna Points" and the more points you got, the more character models will be unlocked. Once you got all characters, the trophy should pop up. To get new challenges you need to play some arcade mode (the Kizuna Mode "saves" the moments right before you died in arcade mode and gives you the possibility to learn this part properly).

Is that in the PS4 version, or just the PS3/360 version? I don't recall seeing that.

@MetalFRO It's the PS4 version.

Edit, Thanks @zoydo

Looks like I need to investigate later! Not tonight, though. I have a major update at work that I have to do overnight, so I'm gonna catch a few z's this evening.

@MetalFRO  Good luck with the update, and with the game.

Sent from my LGUS997 using Tapatalk

I would encourage anyone struggling with the game, who has the PS4 version, to play the Arcade Challenge mode. I was hesitant, but a couple nights ago on stream, viewers coaxed me into trying it, and I think it's helping me. I started at the lowest difficulty, which is the same as the "Super Easy" mode, and am working my way through the game. It splits each stage up into several segments, and you have 20 lives/tries to get through each one. Once you've completed a stage in this manner, it throws you back into the same stage, with a total of 40 lives/tries to get through it. Each time you die, it rewinds a bit, decrements a "try" and lets you keep going, to help you learn those tough spots. When you get through and beat the Stage 5 boss, the game will repeat, and depending on your performance, either dump you into the 2nd loop for that mode (the "Omote" loop), or just go back to Stage 1. At that point, I've been going back to the menu to start that mode again, but up the difficulty by 1 each time. I'm finding that's helping me learn the stages and enemy locations/patterns. It also has the added benefit of enemy bullet patterns being increased in complexity a little bit each time, so I can slowly learn the bullet patterns, and get a little better at dodging around or through them each time. There are 10 difficulty levels in this mode, with 10 being the standard arcade difficulty, so you can really fine tune it to where you want to be. I think this mode will really help me learn the game better, and I can already tell that, despite all the deaths, I'm improving. I would highly recommend this mode.

I agree. And if you want to fine tune it even more after that, you can try Kizuna mode (found to the right of arcade challenge mode in the menu), which will place you 5 seconds before you died in arcade mode (with several of your recent deaths to choose from), so you can improve on the parts that you are having particular difficulty with. This mode is probably best for once you feel reasonably comfortable with arcade mode, and just have a few sticky points to contend with.

Sent from my LGUS997 using Tapatalk

Played the X-Mode a bit. Think i could do better, but i didn't have much time to play during the last two weeks.

X-Mode - 105.643.765 - St.4 - Panzer Jäger
[img width=375 height=500]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49460764842_17208f3041.jpg[/img]

Good stuff, zoydo! I've been focusing on Arcade Challenge mode on PS4, so I haven't improved my scores any, but I'm hoping that it's helping me learn the game better.

I found another page that might be useful for those who want to continue to concentrate on scoring during 2020:

http://www.world-of-arcades.net/Cave/Ketsui/ItemsAndScores.htm (http://www.world-of-arcades.net/Cave/Ketsui/ItemsAndScores.htm)

Finally made it to Stage 5

Nice! How many lives did you expend, reaching that point?

I was 0/0 and died in the opener.

That's pretty good, to no-miss, no-bomb up to that point. Great work!

Oh no I meant I died literally at the beginning of the stage after making it 0/0

Oh, gotcha. Still, good that you're still making further progress into the game.

Hi, being listening to the podcast for a bit now and have really enjoyed it, so id like to say thanks.
I am a bit of a Cave fan, so when you announced a Ketsui playthrough for the year, i felt i had to take part. I think i'll play it on my ps3, but what settings should i be playing on and where do i post my scores?

Thanks for listening to the podcast, and we're glad you enjoy it! As far as playing Ketsui, you'll post your scores here, in this thread. Since you're playing the PS3 version, play on either Arcade mode, default settings, or play X Mode, on those defaults, and notate which one you're playing, when you post a screenshot. We'll be devising a leaderboard for the scores, and all available modes that run through at least 1 loop of the game will be in consideration. Good luck, and welcome aboard!

Great to see everyone getting stuck into Ketsui, here's my effort so far.
33667738
Ps3
Arcade Mode
Normal
Standard settings

Great initial effort!

Also, I wanted to share Moglar's Ura loop 2-ALL. Not that most of us will be able to adopt his strategies, but it's a great achievement, and gives everyone something to shoot for.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBfJFTAVKfI

Everyone,

I'm getting scores together to set up the leaderboard for each mode. If you haven't submitted anything yet, please do! Even if your score isn't above the top posted score, for the mode you're playing, I still want to try and fill out the leaderboard with as many scores as possible. Once I have it filled in, and we have it tweaked the way we want it, I'll link it here in the thread, so everyone can keep an eye on the scores. Thanks!

Im struggling to better my score on arcade normal so i might have to revert to type and go on an easier setting or maybe the deathtiny mode on ps4 so i can post another score.

Had a go at Deathtiny mode standard settings on PS4, didnt really know what to do to boost my score but here it is anyway.

Ps4 version, Super Easy mode, Standard settings.

You're hot on the heels of zoydo for your Super Easy score! Keep practicing that mode, and you just might overtake him.

With that bit of encouragment i had a go at Super Easy Mode on PS4 and beat my best score with 77894171. Not sure if there's much of a penalty for using bombs/losing lives in this mode.

Arcade Normal, standard settings on PS3, slight improvement.

Had a go at X Mode on the PS3 version and had fun, recommend having a go at this version.

Hi! new guy here! I might have missed it, but is there a leaderboard currently available for this competition? I ve been waiting to get into Ketsui since summer, but had to clear my backlog first. I guess my timing is pretty spot on.

Score update for Deathtiny:

[img width=500 height=281]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49560855591_a9b438aacb.jpg[/img]

Totally screwed up Stage 1. I know that i can do better, but anyway...

Zkibu86, welcome! I'm currently prepping the leaderboard, and have been filling out the scores, to try and make sure it's accurate. I'll be posting a link in the thread, as well as updating the initial post with the link to it, once I'm comfortable that it's ready to go.

The leader board is finally here! I have been working on getting this done over the last couple weeks, making sure I had everything right. As of this post, I believe the scores are all accounted for, and the order should be correct. For each category where one has participated, their highest score will be reflected, and their position on the leader board will reflect the most recent score, as soon as I see updates, and can get them posted in the spreadsheet. Scores will ONLY be edited and posted on the board by either MetalFRO or Addicted. As normal, post your screenshots here, and as we see them, we will update the spreadsheet accordingly. If you have any questions, suggestions to improve the document, or need clarification on anything, please let us know. Also, please read the Rules & Guidelines tab in the spreadsheet before posting any questions about the list, to make sure we're not answering any questions already addressed. Thank you all for your patience, and let's keep those scores coming!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JnZ4vZsBv4cgIMa1XKFy5OxqYULGPZNVMTjOAD9EDeY/edit?usp=sharing (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JnZ4vZsBv4cgIMa1XKFy5OxqYULGPZNVMTjOAD9EDeY/edit?usp=sharing)

score update

got a new PB for arcade mode yesterday:

[img width=640 height=360]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49572968058_6c4ed22786_z.jpg[/img]

I beat the st.3 midboss for the first time without bombing. Had an overall nice run until st.3 boss. Then i made a mistake and was getting really nervous and started bombing everything. Made past the st.4 midboss and missed 50mil very close.

Good improvement, zoydo! Your position on the leaderboard hasn't changed, but I did update your score.

Improved my score in Arcade mode on PS3, starting to realise the benefits of choosing Panzer.
Good score Zoydo can't see beating that score in Arcade mode but ill have a good try.

@MetalFRO: thank you.👍🏼

@Biscuit Thief: thank you.✌🏻🙂 you're not too far away from my score, keep pushin'! 💪🏼

Got to stage 4 with some luck and heavy bombing

Thanks for the score submission, Zkibu86! Got it updated on the spreadsheet :D

Best I could do so far in Deathtiny. (Updated my score)

Awesome score, infamous2117! Leaderboard for Deathtiny has been updated!

Posted a run on Twitter and got directed here!

Very much still learning the game, and shmups in general but here's a couple of runs so far:

Super Easy - 80,220,389 - Panzer Jager:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-zuVTp08xI

Deathtiny - 239,005,073 - Tiger Schwert:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeMu6uzr3Cc

Also, I've noticed a digit is missing from zoydo's Deathtiny score on the doc - it should be 227,378,504

Welcome aboard, Jonster! I'll get your scores added to the leaderboard tomorrow, hopefully.

Rankings updated - Jonster pulls into the lead, in Super Easy, and Deathtiny modes!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JnZ4vZsBv4cgIMa1XKFy5OxqYULGPZNVMTjOAD9EDeY/edit?usp=sharing (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JnZ4vZsBv4cgIMa1XKFy5OxqYULGPZNVMTjOAD9EDeY/edit?usp=sharing)

Hey Metalfro you need to update Zoydos score on Deathtiny mode as the guy mentioned above.

Im gonna try and get some games in today and improve my score. Good to see some new names

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