SHmup Club February 2022 - Image Fight

[MetalFRO]

[img width=425 height=595]https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2F5e%2F55%2F0c%2F5e550c0d815f8ffd99fafdbb7f476f94.jpg&f=1&nofb=1[/img]

Sometimes, a game developer comes up with a winner; a real hit. When that happens, and they follow that up with something different, the results aren't always as successful. That lack of success may be creative in nature, or purely financial. Or sometimes, the enormity of the initial success simply uses up all the oxygen in the room, so that subsequent attempts to replicate that success never quite get the same traction. It could be said that Irem's initial success for R-Type was a detriment to some of their subsequent games, because it's difficult to capture lightning in a bottle in the same manner. Such could be said about their vertical shooting game follow-up, Image Fight. While it was far from a failure, it certainly didn't replicate the success of its predecessor, both in terms of broad appeal, and overall success. Even so, the game was a popular arcade title, and saw conversions on a number of platforms, such as the PC Engine, Famicom and NES, Sharp X68000, and the FM Towns computer. More recently, the arcade version has been made available on PS4 and Switch, thanks to Hamster's Arcade Archives line.

On a fateful day in 20XX, the Earth's moon exploded into four large fragments and a multitude of meteors. Aliens from afar had succeeded in destroying the West's moon base. One after another, mankind's other military industrial space complexes were being lost. What mankind dreaded had come to pass. Scores of unidentified fighters were in the area. In addition, the moon's main computer, still intact after the explosion, had a strange vegetation coiled around it. Their trademark evil exploits being a dead giveaway, invaders from the Boondoggle Galaxy had arrived to take over the Earth. To counter these evil forces, leading scientists from all over the globe created the "OF-1" Fightership. Combat pilots depart the Earth to fend off the invaders and earn everlasting glory. Join the RF Generation Shmup Club in February 2022 as we take on the "vertical R-Type" known as Image Fight!

Participants:
MetalFRO
Addicted
Golem
FauxMacho
Arrowviper

[Golem]

I cracked open Image Fight tonight on Switch and credit fed up to the stage 4 boss. It feels good to be playing a checkpoint shooter again! Right now, the stage 4 boss seems impossible. :b

[FauxMacho]

I've put a few credits into this already and am really enjoying it. I'm in!

[Golem]

I'm really enjoying it, too. The way you aim the pods is cool. And the speed risk/reward is neat, too. At higher speeds, it's harder to aim, since tapping to aim will move you farther. But then, it's easier to dodge.

I've credit fed the first three stages a few times, and I still can't figure out the stage 4 boss. I've experimented with different speeds, pods, and powerups. The only solution I've found so far is to just skip the boss altogether: https://mobile.twitter.co...tatus/1490517907020783616
Even with the quick kill, I still got hit. I was saved by having a powerup to shield me.

Also, there is a ton to shoot in this game. I don't know how anyone would've played this on original arcade hardware. I get that arcade buttons are easier to tap than pads, but even then.

[MetalFRO]

Thanks for joining in, both of you! I've only played the Famicom version so far, and it's definitely no cake walk. I hear the arcade original is pretty brutal, so I'll be curious to see how much more difficult it is by comparison.

I'm really enjoying it, too. The way you aim the pods is cool. And the speed risk/reward is neat, too. At higher speeds, it's harder to aim, since tapping to aim will move you farther. But then, it's easier to dodge.

I've credit fed the first three stages a few times, and I still can't figure out the stage 4 boss. I've experimented with different speeds, pods, and powerups. The only solution I've found so far is to just skip the boss altogether: https://mobile.twitter.co...tatus/1490517907020783616
Even with the quick kill, I still got hit. I was saved by having a powerup to shield me.

Also, there is a ton to shoot in this game. I don't know how anyone would've played this on original arcade hardware. I get that arcade buttons are easier to tap than pads, but even then.

Can you expand upon what you mean by, "tapping to aim will move you farther."? I'm not sure I quite understand what you mean. Also, in terms of arcade buttons being easier to tap, you're right. I'm not sure about how people would have played on US arcade cabs, with the thick, concave buttons, but the short, convex buttons of Japanese candy cabs (and modern arcade sticks) generally have a very short throw, and are easy to press, so a lot of times for games with no autofire, people will just "feather" the button with multiple fingers, so they can tap it in more rapid succession.

[FauxMacho]

I get what Golem means. When set to higher speeds, your movement to aim the red pods will carry you across more of the screen than on a lower speed.


For Stage 4, it's my experience that this is the one spot where all blue pods is desirable, but that quick kill is good too. I clear out all the sky blue destructible matter I can, then just focus on dodging the missiles. the 4 forward guns will get their hits in and eventually kill the boss.
Now, the Stage 3 boss is the one that has me scratching my head. I just go for a quick kill positioned in the upper left and hope for some luck. The snake lasers have a tell for a moment before they fire, so you can get out of the way, but there are just not a lot of safe spots on the screen.

If you are playing the Arcade Archives release, try to credit feed all the way through. Stage select unlocks after a clear, which I was surprised by.

[MetalFRO]

If you are playing the Arcade Archives release, try to credit feed all the way through. Stage select unlocks after a clear, which I was surprised by.

Thanks for the tip! I just bought the Switch version over lunch, so that's what I'll likely be playing and streaming this evening, so I might just try and do that, to unlock that ability.

The Famicom port has some quirks. The stage 3 boss with the snake lasers is frustrating. There's a goofy safe spot which makes it so that the lasers can overlap your ship's cockpit but not be destroyed, and it doesn't make sense, but I guess it's probably in part to make up for the lack of screen real estate. Now that I found it, I'm hoping I can replicate that. But I think I'll probably shift my focus to the arcade version, and see where that takes me. The music in the Famicom/NES port is kind of grating, but also oddly compelling because of that reason. It's hard to articulate exactly what I mean, but that's what it is.

[Golem]

I get what Golem means. When set to higher speeds, your movement to aim the red pods will carry you across more of the screen than on a lower speed.

Yup, exactly!

For Stage 4, it's my experience that this is the one spot where all blue pods is desirable, but that quick kill is good too. I clear out all the sky blue destructible matter I can, then just focus on dodging the missiles. the 4 forward guns will get their hits in and eventually kill the boss.

I can't dodge the missiles for the life of me. It's so chaotic, and I can't find a good method for anticipating where the missiles will land.

Now, the Stage 3 boss is the one that has me scratching my head. I just go for a quick kill positioned in the upper left and hope for some luck. The snake lasers have a tell for a moment before they fire, so you can get out of the way, but there are just not a lot of safe spots on the screen.

I know you responded to this on Twitter, but for the sake of the thread, here's a quick kill strategy on stage 3's boss: https://twitter.com/golem...tatus/1491588183464710146

If you are playing the Arcade Archives release, try to credit feed all the way through. Stage select unlocks after a clear, which I was surprised by.

"Try" being the key word. This took me half the month to credit feed through! (10 hours of gameplay across 7 sessions.) I started from the beginning of the game each session and got a little farther each time. The penalty zone is a huge roadblock--I couldn't brute force my way through it.

Stages 7 and 8 are not that bad. To this game's credit, you can easily clear the game from the final checkpoint, unlike R-Type.

I don't know that I'll be done with this game by the end of the month!

[MetalFRO]

I managed to credit feed up to the final stage on the Arcade Archives version during my last stream, but it's so brutal, I can't imagine any kind of substantive recovery taking place at that point, especially with the earlier checkpoints. The month isn't over yet, though, so I'm still going to at least see if I can reach the end.

[Arrowviper]

This will be the first time I’m joining the Shmup club! I’ve had Image fight and X multiple on the Saturn for a while now but haven’t fired it up yet. Tried it for the first time today and got to stage three. I’m really liking it so far although the boss fights are way to short. Hopefully they get better later in the game. Looking forward to making some progress during the rest of the month even though I’m late in.

[MetalFRO]

This will be the first time I’m joining the Shmup club! I’ve had Image fight and X multiple on the Saturn for a while now but haven’t fired it up yet. Tried it for the first time today and got to stage three. I’m really liking it so far although the boss fights are way to short. Hopefully they get better later in the game. Looking forward to making some progress during the rest of the month even though I’m late in.

Welcome to RF Generation! That's pretty good progress so far, getting to stage 3 already. I finally managed to get to stage 3 on a single credit in my runs this evening, though it's still pretty hit and miss. I did get my PB, score-wise, but this game is just a gut punch of difficulty for me. For some reason, I have a hard time adapting to it. I think I'm that way with Irem stuff in general.

[Golem]

I’m really liking it so far although the boss fights are way to short.

I wish they were shorter! They all give me trouble, haha. :b

When I use the stage select to get to stage 6, I get extra enemies that aren't normally there. Namely, the enemies that shoot slowdown bubbles. I'm pretty sure I'm not picking loop 2 by accident, but I'm not sure what else it could be.

[MetalFRO]

LOL yes, the stage 3 boss fight isn't short enough - that one still skunks me

That's an odd issue with the extra enemies. I haven't even managed to make it that far in the arcade version. It could be a bug with the stage select addition that Hamster made. That, or it moves you forward to stage 6 on a higher rank, which causes those enemies to spawn. I'm inclined to think it's the latter, but I don't have confirmation either way.

[FauxMacho]

Hi Arrowviper, welcome! How are you finding the Saturn version? So far I think it's a bit tougher than the Arcade Archives version due to the reduced screen real estate, I hope to try it more in Tate mode before the end of the month.

What's everyone's input of choice? I've felt d-pad is not good for this game, since you have all those extra angles you can position the red pods at (16 ways?). I've been playing a lot handheld with the Flip Grip and honest the tiny analog nub is working better for me than the analog stick or dpad on the pro controller. My mini arcade stick has a faulty down direction microswitch, so it's out of commission for the moment.

I've made it to Stage 4 on a credit. 192,200 points.

Now maybe you've figured this out already MetalFRO, but that one power on level 3 sucks because we have rapid fire on. The Special Component is called Barrier and with auto fire off, if you hold shoot it creates a damaging barrier in front of you. Haven't been able to bring it all the way to the boss yet to see what it can do.

[MetalFRO]

@FauxMacho - okay, that makes sense. I think I may have encountered that on the Famicom version, but maybe didn't realize that's what it would do. I don't think there's a way to turn off the autofire on the fly in the ACA version, though there may be a way to mirror shots to another button that isn't set to autofire, so that might be a possibility. Hoping to get more time into this tonight and tomorrow.