Good ways to improve your shmup game?

[super-saiya-jin]

Apart from long hours of practice are there any other good ways to master shmups?

 

[Takumaji]

IMO, It's important not to over-practise or over-concentrate on a game. If you can't beat it at first, don't sweat it and play another game for a while, then go back to it and try again.

I remember when I started playing Strikers 1945 II religiously, my skills improved very quick at first, but for some reason I could not beat 1-5. I tried for nearly a month until I had enough, got pissed and stopped playing the game for half a year. Then one day I thought I should give it another go, jumped right in there and lo and behold, I beat 1-5 on the first try.

Practice is essential, no doubt about that, but if you keep on practising for weeks and don't see any improvements, it's time to start thinking about what you're doing wrong because otherwise your endless practice sessions will only make you very good at playing the game how it should not be played.

 

[RBjakeSpecial]

Takumaji- Great advice. I find that happens to me with every shooter. I reach a point that I can't pass and that's it. Dodonpachi level 3 boss, right now Mushihimesama level 4.

I think downloading all clear videos or watching people in the arcade would help. Also training you hand eye coordination by watching fast things. I turn on my TV and watch the static for hours. All those bullets and dodging yeah.......

I find a nice caffienated drink really helps and heavy metal music. Slayer and Coca cola. After about 3 cokes and your starting to shake and really violent music and you can dodge anything. Works for fighting games too.

 

[Takumaji]

Slayer and Coca cola.

heh

Mushihime, the meaning of pain
The way that I want you to die
Slow death, immense decay
Bullets that cleanse you of your life

 

[RBjakeSpecial]

DUDE THAT MADE me laugh. I'm going to shout that at my friend next time I see him.

Sleep deprivation and DragonquestVIII make johnny a good boy......

 

[terry.330]

I have noticed that I seem to do better or get further playing shmups when I'm slightly distracted. Usually when playing a game with a friend watching and they start to ask questions so my concentration is split, or if the TV is on in the background. I don't know what it is but it seems to work and other people have also noticed and commented on it.

 

[subcons]

Also training you hand eye coordination by watching fast things. I turn on my TV and watch the static for hours.

I'm not sure if you're serious about this one or not.

Interesting, albeit weird, if you are.

 

[Loopz]

A big thing for me is learning to just stare at a small zone around your ship while firing rather than try to take in the entire screen, especially with the Cave-ish shooters.

 

[RBjakeSpecial]

A couple times while playing Mushihime I got into a serious meditation like trance. I relaxed my eye muscles and could see everything, but wasn't focused on anything. Like a clear mind martial arts all defense technique/experience. Religious feeling.

 

[LoneSage]

Honestly for me, the only way I can get better is just to practice. I play better when I'm wide-awake and concentrating, so I'm pretty piss poor during the wee hours of midnight.

Also, if you're stuck in some area and can't get past it, choose a different route. You may think going your way is the best or even only way to get through it, but look at your surroundings and make use of them.

 

[Lashujin]

I have noticed that I seem to do better or get further playing shmups when I'm slightly distracted. Usually when playing a game with a friend watching and they start to ask questions so my concentration is split, or if the TV is on in the background. I don't know what it is but it seems to work and other people have also noticed and commented on it.

dude, your shmup playing when we were over there made me reconsider the genre, and now it's one of my favorites (I have since purchased: Guwange, and ESPRade)

 

[ki_atsushi]

A big thing for me is learning to just stare at a small zone around your ship while firing rather than try to take in the entire screen, especially with the Cave-ish shooters.

That's good advise right there... I do the same thing. You can't worry about whats going on in the distance, worry about what is near the ship. Totally essential in games such as Ikaruga and Castle Shikigami 2. Unless you're at a boss that has lasers that travel too fast to dodge, then you have to watch what they're doing.

 

[Magnaflux]

Zen out and focus only on what is happening now.

I don't know about anyone else, but I can't play shmups while I'm tense and be any good. The more insane the shooter, the easier it is for me to relax.

 

[Jedah Doma]

A big thing for me is learning to just stare at a small zone around your ship while firing rather than try to take in the entire screen, especially with the Cave-ish shooters.

I couldn't agree more. When I first got into shmups, I diead a decent amount. I was not too shabby, but I would die and not knw why. When I started playing the Donpachi series, or any Cave game for that matter, I focused on my ship more. Ever since then, I've gotten a hundred times better. I go in between looking at my ship (say a good %70 of the time), to looking at small surrounding areas to find a path to get out of the way of bullets (about %30 of the time).

Playing Mushi this way in arrange mode helps more then you could ever know. In the end, play Dodonpachi Dai Ou Jou. It will pimp slap you and laugh in your face. It's tough, but play any of the Cave games for some good practice. It feels like intense training for your other shmups. I'll go through days where I'll play through Dodonpachi Dai Ou Jou and then go to R-Type Delta or even Gradius V and I do much better.

 

[terry.330]

dude, your shmup playing when we were over there made me reconsider the genre, and now it's one of my favorites (I have since purchased: Guwange, and ESPRade)

I have had that effect on alot of people, ESPrade and batrider will do that .