Looking for advice on bullet hells and sidescrolling shooters

[PierceHolden]

'sup everyone, looking for a little advice here.
I couldn't see a thread about this within several pages so I'm risking opening a new thread, please don't game-end me if I missed a thread about this topic already.

Any seasoned bullet hell enjoyers active on here?
I've been getting into Touhou, specifically the older ones, and I'm having a hard time trying to finish the games without continues.

Mind sharing some tips on how to improve playing these things?

I'm fairly new to the genre and generally haven't been good at top scrolling or side scrolling shooters in general.
I can get around to level 4 in Touhou 4 on normal before it's joever for me, which isn't exactly great.
With R-Type (which is admittedly not a bullet hell but since I mentioned sidescrollers) I can barely get through stage one.

I get that having an eye on your ship is important, but I feel like I'm missing something really obvious.

 

[Clippy]

I myself never really got into the genre because I have too little time and patience for it but I know of a respected guide called Full Extent of the Jam. LINK

Here's hoping it helps.

 

[PierceHolden]

I myself never really got into the genre because I have too little time and patience for it but I know of a respected guide called Full Extent of the Jam. LINK

Here's hoping it helps.

I feel that, I avoided it for the longest time specifically because of that, idk what bit me to get into it.

I'll read through the guide, maybe I can get something out of it. Thanks for sharing!

 

[nachito]

I suck at them but here's a playlist
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMDuVHl1iOH_Cg9QOPectmfG4zHRJlqWh
And another one
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6v-ZK7ra6N-Fa-FkDRFDkFSJdmaG9tbs

 

[PierceHolden]

Your skill: Very done
Sounds about right lmao xD

I'll do some reading and watching, maybe I can get through this game in one piece in a few months.

 

[Evaccaneer Doom]

There's really not much advice to give other than "pay really close attention to your character." It's a very practice based genre. To be decent at a shmup takes ages (no SEGA). YouTubers make it look easy, but be aware that they have been playing these games for decades. They probably grew up fucking up a run in Donpachi. Also don't be afraid to use bombs, even high level play has to use bombs unless you're trying to go for a CAVE extra boss which specifically requires that you are a god at the game in question.

Also getting to Stage 4 is great. It means you can get halfway before falling off, that narrows down where you need practice on.

 

[Megarockman _1987 Megarockman _1987]

I am a bullet hell enjoyer, I have been playing touhou but currently I don't play it often (because I am so noob in touhou lol)
But I am looking for other bullet hells too
So, what is your favorite touhou?

 

[Zerohour2k12]

Drainus and Sine Mora are great ones!

 

[PierceHolden]

There's really not much advice to give other than "pay really close attention to your character." It's a very practice based genre. To be decent at a shmup takes ages (no SEGA). YouTubers make it look easy, but be aware that they have been playing these games for decades. They probably grew up fucking up a run in Donpachi. Also don't be afraid to use bombs, even high level play has to use bombs unless you're trying to go for a CAVE extra boss which specifically requires that you are a god at the game in question.

Also getting to Stage 4 is great. It means you can get halfway before falling off, that narrows down where you need practice on.

Yeah, most of it does seem to be practice for sure. I can tell the first few stages are getting "easier" so to speak.

The moment I get to the stage 3 boss on Touhou 4 tho it's so over. I entered with 4 lives earlier, came out with one, one bomb and got absolutely destroyed early in stage 4. It's like the game takes the gloves off and backhands me lmao.

I am a bullet hell enjoyer, I have been playing touhou but currently I don't play it often (because I am so noob in touhou lol)
But I am looking for other bullet hells too
So, what is your favorite touhou?

I've only messed with the PC98 era for now as I feel those might be easier as the more modern ones as they had to work around the limitations of the machines at the time. Out of them my favorite is 4, hence why it's the one I spend most of my time with atm.

 

[Bigg-e]

You might try Touhou 7 and up or CAVE games like DoDonPachi and Mushihime-sama, these games are often going to be more difficult overall but they have better visual clarity and when you're doing the slow movement (holding shift / holding the shoot button on CAVE games) a small circle showing your hitbox appears.

 

[PierceHolden]

You might try Touhou 7 and up or CAVE games like DoDonPachi and Mushihime-sama, these games are often going to be more difficult overall but they have better visual clarity and when you're doing the slow movement (holding shift / holding the shoot button on CAVE games) a small circle showing your hitbox appears.

I have noticed that in some spots the white bullets tend to get lost in the sauce, tho it's never been what killed me. Usually I end up running into something really obvious wondering why the hell I just did that lmao.

I'll look into it, maybe over the weekend.

 

[Bigg-e]

I do that a lot too lmao. The hitbox detector has been really useful for improving in the high density patterns, nothing fixes my own misinputs though.

 

[Megarockman _1987 Megarockman _1987]

I've only messed with the PC98 era for now as I feel those might be easier as the more modern ones as they had to work around the limitations of the machines at the time. Out of them my favorite is 4, hence why it's the one I spend most of my time with atm.

Cool, I never played the PC98 era, but I will try those some day. I view a dime videos about this touhous, and the first is so different to the rest of the franchise lol
My favorite is the 7, because have a amazing OST and sakuya is playable

 

[PierceHolden]

Cool, I never played the PC98 era, but I will try those some day. I view a dime videos about this touhous, and the first is so different to the rest of the franchise lol
My favorite is the 7, because have a amazing OST and sakuya is playable

Yeah, the first one basically isn't a bullet hell, it feels more like a puzzle game.
It only really starts forming into the Touhou we know by game 3.

They're good, but have some visual clarity problems due to hardware limitations.

Being jumpscared by the OG Bad Apple playing 4 was a downright religious experience I tell you LMAO

 

[PSVitaForever]

Drainus and Sine Mora are great ones!

I was thinking of "Sine Mora" as well, the plot is quite dark but the graphics/backgrounds are beautiful.
Played it on Vita, it wasn't easy and I never reached the true ending; on Switch I did, even if with many bad words lol.

On Vita, I recommend:

1 "Geometry Wars 3 Dimensions"
2 "Super Stardust Delta"
3 "Resogun"
4 "Tachyon Project"
5 "Velocity 2X"

1, 2 and 4 are twin stick shooter, 3 is side-scrolling, 5 is side-scrolling too but the ship travels toward the top of the screen (and there are sections where you use the girl with her gun).

On Nintendo 3ds, there's Nano Assault, similar to "Geometry Wars" and "Stardust" but you are a spaceship inside cells, just look at gameplay.