February 2020 Shmup Club - Grid Seeker

[SaturdayDevelopment]

I like having the green (homing) GRID for the main levels then switching over to blue (laser) for the bosses.  Red is fine.  I can't use yellow, I find the continual explosion it puts out to be too distracting and interferes with the visuals of the "fire bullets" on some of the bosses.  Of course, I'm always going for a green powerup and it switches to yellow at the last minute...

[MetalFRO]

I did notice that the weapon type power-up changes colors very quickly. It seems to get into a rhythm, and depending on where it is on screen when it spawns, and what weapon type you want, you may end up having to go to the top of the screen to get it. Gets a bit dangerous.

[zoydo]

@SaturdayDevelopment: i also switch between blue and green. Usually i try to play with the blue laser and try to switch to green at the beginning of stage 3. It works nice with the enemies coming from behind and the sides and it's also helpful at the boss fight.

@MetalFRO: it's a bit frustrating with the power-ups. I died several times trying to pick them up. Especially when you got hit and try to power up fast to stand a chance at all, things can get a bit hectical.

[SaturdayDevelopment]

There is a part in the first stage where you are about 60% in where they try to bait with a power up and a weapon change that turns green at the very top of the screen and 3 jets come in right in the perfect place to crash into you.  I tend to wait on all powerups until they are at least on the bottom half of the screen now.

[MetalFRO]

There is a part in the first stage where you are about 60% in where they try to bait with a power up and a weapon change that turns green at the very top of the screen and 3 jets come in right in the perfect place to crash into you.  I tend to wait on all powerups until they are at least on the bottom half of the screen now.

Yeah, I've been duped by this too many times. Sometimes, they're just not worth getting, unless you can time it just right.

@zoydo - you're absolutely right. I've found, so far, that recovery after dying in the latter part of stage 1, or during the boss fight, is very difficult. My goal is to try and avoid stage 1 deaths at all, if possible.

I started playing this on MAME last night, and what a difference that makes! The screen orientation is so much more natural, and I feel like it's better. I still feel cramped, with the stage 1 boss fight, because it comes so far down the screen, but I really think it's a better way to play it. Sound emulation is kinda iffy, but it's still probably a better experience for sheer game play.

[SaturdayDevelopment]

I just found that there is an option in the main TL2 menu that lets you play in the original aspect ratio!  In the game select screen, select the default option which will bring you into a settings menu.  You can change it in Video Settings.

[MetalFRO]

Great find! I feel a bit silly, that I didn't find this myself. Thank you for the update on this! Hopefully, I can play some more on PS2 now, and actually have it work the way it's supposed to.

[SaturdayDevelopment]

Hit my weekend goal of breaking 400K (401,350).  I had an excellent run in stage one and two.  Beat the stage two boss without dying.  Died once in stage 3, and then (of course) lost all my lives in stage 4 without even making it to the boss.

[MetalFRO]

Nice job! I haven't managed to break past 255K so far, and have only reached stage 3 once. It's hard to adjust to this, after playing so much Ketsui, because the hitbox is much larger, and the gameplay style is a fair bit different.

[MetalFRO]

I am perpetually stuck in stage 1 and 2. Not sure what my mental block is with this game, but I am just not progressing. I've managed to make stage 3 a few times, and even made it to the boss once, and it really ramps up. But for some reason, the stage 1 boss can sometimes get me, and recovery there is hard. Then in stage 2, boss recovery is even harder, and I end up just bombing as much as I can, only to still lose all my lives, because the bosses are so spongy, and those stupid orange homing energy balls are slightly unpredictable, and harder to dodge. I might try and see if I can find a replay or two to watch, because I'm struggling.

[SaturdayDevelopment]

Not sure if this helps, but here are some tips on how I manage the level 1 boss, and I take it out pretty quick and reliable (e.g. I never die there).

• I try to bring "helper-copter" with me to help up the firepower, plus you get a bonus for finishing the level with the helper intact.  Picking up the H as late as possible helps with this.
• The main things to dodge on the L1 boss are the fireballs.  The first two fireball attacks I avoid by swinging far right, then far left, trying to get as many shots in in-between.
• After the first two attacks, I try to just pepper the core of the boss as hard as possible with fire.  The next two fireball attacks can be dodged in the lower middle of the screen, but takes a little bit of reaction skill to do.  I find that the boss doesn't typically last longer than these attacks.

If there was an easy way to pull video off my Xbox, I'd post a video, but hope the above helps.

[MetalFRO]

Yeah, I have the strategy for the boss down, but sometimes I get sniped by the homing missiles. That's my big problem there - if I don't take them out, or if they swing around either side, go to the bottom of the screen, and don't just disappear, but double back, then I'm hosed. I haven't found a consistent way to predict if/when they will do that, either.

[MetalFRO]

Learned something about the Stage 2 boss last night: those large orange orbs are homing, but only if you're moving. When they're fired off, if you're standing still at the bottom of the screen, they will come down, cross over each other, and fly past you. The problem I have there is getting a good position for the GRID, so I can absorb all the bullets. At the beginning of that boss phase, it shoots enough of them that some will invariably not be directed squarely at the GRID, and one will slip through. If you try to dodge it, you're likely to either clip a missile, get hit by the laser, or cause the orange orbs to more directly fly at you. It's a delicate balance, that I haven't quite figured out yet. I got my PB so far, however, so I'll have to grab that screenshot and post it. Not quite where you guys are yet, score-wise, but I'm at least making some progress.

Also, I figured out that your end stage bonus is based on your % of enemy destruction. Having all 4 bombs in stock will net you an automatic 20K, and if the number of enemies you've taken out is high enough, you can up that to 50K. Combine that with the 50K you can achieve by getting the "helper" and keeping it alive until you defeat the boss, and it's possible to get upwards of 170K in Stage 1. I managed to do that a few times last night, and then even if I died during the Stage 2 boss, I'd still usually end up with well over 200K. My best so far was over 330K, and I reached the 2nd or 3rd phase of the Stage 3 boss.

[SaturdayDevelopment]

Also, I figured out that your end stage bonus is based on your % of enemy destruction. Having all 4 bombs in stock will net you an automatic 20K, and if the number of enemies you've taken out is high enough, you can up that to 50K. Combine that with the 50K you can achieve by getting the "helper" and keeping it alive until you defeat the boss, and it's possible to get upwards of 170K in Stage 1. I managed to do that a few times last night, and then even if I died during the Stage 2 boss, I'd still usually end up with well over 200K. My best so far was over 330K, and I reached the 2nd or 3rd phase of the Stage 3 boss.

Thank you for figuring this out!  That has been driving me nuts.  I had all kinds of conspiracy theories on why it would only give a 20k bonus sometimes.

[MetalFRO]

Yeah, I've been trying to pay attention enough to see what the pattern was, and it finally dawned on me a couple nights ago