Okay, so I'm not the greatest arcade game player, but I've never seen anyone do that double-tab you're doing to rapid-fire bullets. Are you hitting the same button both times or are you hitting one for shot and one for missile?
I only watched one level and I've already learned a ton by watching you play. Would love to see a Gradius II/Vulcan Venture vid. That's one of my favorite games of all time but I can't beat it on Normal. (Sad, eh?) The Gauntlet level fucks me every time.