Rant for the night...

[Kollision]

It's all reflexes, pure bullet hell lameness.

This is not correct, especially regarding Ikaruga.

Can you play the game based on reflexes alone?
YES

Can you score higher based on reflexes alone?
DEFINITELY NOT

I personally don't like the game as far as scoring goes.
That's the extent of "lameness" I'm willing to accept about Ikaruga.

Other than that, I'll agree with you that RSG is by far the superior game.

[The Coop]

Do you remember when people used to enjoy shmups without obsessing over every last scoring nuance, or while judging the game based on how its points are scored?

Pepperidge Farm remembers.



Yeah, I'm not a big scoring guy. I don't mind some multipliers and such, but chaining systems, scraping bullets, and all of that... it ruins the fun for me when all you're doing is focusing on making sure you time everything perfectly for score. I just want to blow shit up.

[Kollision]

The key point is that "scoring" should be fun and flow naturally as you learn more about the game mechanics.
Ikaruga goes against that because it forces the player to enter into OCD mode....

[The Coop]

You've been on the shmups forums just as much as I have, so you know scoring OCD mode kicks in anyway for a lot of people there, regardless of the game

[Kamahl]

The key point is that "scoring" should be fun and flow naturally as you learn more about the game mechanics.
Ikaruga goes against that because it forces the player to enter into OCD mode....

RSG does that too, but in a different way and with 3 colors. Since I don't care much about scoring I ignore it, but sometimes I try doing the color chains for the heck of it, it's more fun than color matching...

[Kollision]

@ Coop indeed!

@ Kamahl yeah, scoring in Radiant Silvergun is more friendly, easier and consequently fun, nowehere near Ikaruga standards.
chaining is flexible but also important for survival, after all you need it in order to power up the weapons. You can get away with low firepower in the first stage, but later on the game becomes impossible if you haven't chained well.

[bultje112]

Most RPGs I can never finish. I always get stuck and am never able to finish - be it cause I cant beat a certain boss or I have zero clue where to go. I cant sit down with a strategy guide either cause most of the time I dont have the stuff they tell me to use anyhow.... I think why its bothering me is the fact that he hates shooter games and sucks at all of them (he couldnt get past the 2nd level of Vapor Trail!) and he plays Ikaruga flawlessly... whereas I grew up on games like Vapor Trail and R-type and have very little problem with them. I mean, I know Im slow n all thats a medical fact... Its just up until this point Ive never met a scrolling shooter I couldnt beat - it was kinda my wizard thing ya know? Idk maybe Im reading too much into it.... guess I'll have to stick to Genesis games from now on n leave the more modern consoles alone...

then you suck for sure in rpg's. they are incredibly easy mostly. also ikaruga I agree is very hard. but shooters like kieo on sega cd, or radiant silvergun are imo very hard