Death Smiles appreciation thread

[markedkiller78]

My Death Smiles timeline (paraphrased from Cave-stg)

Day 1
I'm clearly a freak as I don't like (Death Smiles) at all

I'm going to give it some serious play time, but I have MMP & Futari here & want to play them! Think I'll clear it & move it on

Day 3
40.6m level 4-2.

I thought this was meant to be easy, granted I can get to the final level after 2 days, but Level 4 is a total bitch

Day 3 (30 mins later)

Right I take it back. Next run & I cleared the game. Bar none the easiest cave game ever. Rosa is a powerhouse

Day4
Suicide bullets (EX stage & all Rank 3) are mental

I am enjoying this one now, I can clear the first 6 stages every time, but my scores are a little inconsistant. The Lava Level & Jungle with the vines are score tastic

Day 5
I had no idea how subtle this game is. Absorbing suicide bullets takes some serious skill on the Volcano & Canyon (Ex stage) thanks to the scenery. Rosa’s option is a pain to rotate in front of you, I’m guessing this is her only drawback as the others are so underpowered in comparison.

I am absolutely smitten by this game & over the moon that it’s one of the 360 ports. If any hori can rekindle some shmup lovin, this has got to be it

My current Hi score
My high score;

[markedkiller78]

100M isn't too shabby - I've managed an 83M 1cc in the first week of owning it.

Out of interest, have you managed to clear it via the extra stage yet...? Or when playing all stages at level 3? Or both? :p

I’ve not cleared via the extra stage yet. I’ve only killed the boss once on Ex. I can reach the final Boss (with no lives / no bombs) all Level 3, but my score is cactus

[Chi]

Funny, that sounds exactly like my opinions of the game, at roughtly the same timeframe! Having shelled out a bit over £600 for it, I was a bit underwhelmed on the first few games (didn't have much time to play it first day it arrived). Sure it was good, but not immediately as good as Ketsui, or Progear. However, as I discovered a bit about how the game worked (worked out a bit myself before checking out strategy threads at the usual places - that was fun ), I started to like it more and more... once I realised that starting the lava level with 1,000 item points was bound to end in carnage, I really got to enjoy the game!

Right I take it back. Next run & I cleared the game. Bar none the easiest cave game ever. Rosa is a powerhouse

Suicide bullets (EX stage & all Rank 3) are mental

Oh yes. Rosa is a bit cheap, tbh - I've vowed that I'll clear the game with someone else (Windia, I guess - I can't get on with the other two characters) next, then start getting to grips with the extra stage (made it to the mid-level boss, but that's it). The suicide bullets make the game balance totally different - much more about placing the option at the right place (reminds me a bit of R-Type in that regard).

Rosa’s option is a pain to rotate in front of you, I’m guessing this is her only drawback as the others are so underpowered in comparison.

That and the fact that her lock on goes backwards (all the other characters ones go forwards, which is a tad more useful)! Bloomin' annoying.

So, who else has the game?

[markedkiller78]

Apparantley the "trick" to scoring big is refilling the gauge when in overmode.

I can do it with the addition of a bomb on the cemetry level (A-2?) The house at the end spews out millions of pumpkins & the jungle level, B-1, You can do it here towards the end when the final 3 vine guys are coming at you. Both back to 1000. Other levels I can only get 300-500.

Incidently B-1 reminds me of Super Mario World. The levels with the caterpillars that go red whe you jump on them

[Caveman]

100M isn't too shabby - I've managed an 83M 1cc in the first week of owning it.

Jesus i must be missin something, the only level i seem to score anywhere near decent is the fire stage.
The rest is a bit hit & miss for me, sometimes the graveyard stage - i manage a decent run.
The best i've had so far is 81,314,108 with Windia (died @ 4-2 boss)

Still isn't preventing me from really enjoying this though, it just looks soooo good.
Who would have thought that Medieval-goth-witches woul be such a great combo?

[GaijinPunch]

The highest scores don't use overmode on the EX or Castle. About halfway through the canyon, they've got the multiplier up to 10,000, and they get +10,000 for every bullet eaten then on throughout the game. Of course, you can't miss at that point.

[markedkiller78]

The highest scores don't use overmode on the EX or Castle. About halfway through the canyon, they've got the multiplier up to 10,000, and they get +10,000 for every bullet eaten then on throughout the game. Of course, you can't miss at that point.

It’s a lot easier said than done

Can you manage it on either the Castle or Canyon GP? The castle looks a million times easier than the Canyon. I lose 4-5 lives on the canyon, I’ve only made it through once & I used 9 bombs

There’s a video on youtube of the castle, but at the start the multiplier is already 10,000 (I'm guessing this is from Ex)

[charlie chong]

got to say i really enjoyed this from the afternoons play i gave it . i didn't think i'd like it that much but it really is a fun game with some nice graphics and it seems like it's a good game for beginners and experts alike.. wots up with that cow boss tho???
mooooooooooooooooooo
not sure if i'd buy at current price point but i deffo want to play again at some point.

[SuperPang]

Mary FTW!

[markedkiller78]

The game is awesome. It took me a few days to warm to it, but as you say Charlie it has something for everyone

What’s the deal with a 2 life refill on the 1st form of the final boss if you no bomb though? (not even no miss, just no bomb)

360 release will be cheap cheap

[charlie chong]

yep now i'm gonna have to get me a jpn 360 pity d.o.j b.l is gonna be the first to be released cos thats the one i'm least interested in i'll still grab it tho

[Chi]

Hey, don't diss Mary :p

My other half thinks the treatment of Jordan (tied with ropes to the ground and buried) is cruel, though :p

Not sure why Jitterbug gives you two life's energy back if you no-bomb - I guess 'cause Tyrranosatan is a git!

[markedkiller78]

Hey, don't diss Mary :p

My other half thinks the treatment of Jordan (tied with ropes to the ground and buried) is cruel, though :p

Not sure why Jitterbug gives you two life's energy back if you no-bomb - I guess 'cause Tyrranosatan is a git!

6 bombs worth of a git?

I thought you needed to no miss (so I end up bombing) but I was so close to no missing on Saturday then I got the 2 life up. Strange decision by cave

Thanks to that 2up I went into the Tyrranosatan with 5 lives on Sat, I had no missed upto Jitterbug, so had 4 regardless

Mary is black in Mega Black Label

[charlie chong]

it's strange but there is deffo something different looking about cave's new boss designs from what i've seen of mushi futari and d.s.. i can't put my finger on it but they just seem weird compared to cave games of the past. mebbes it's the animation or something

i cant believe you all like that poxy cow!

[SuperPang]

Yeah, more layers of rendering shenanigans. I prefer the look of Mushi 1, but it really works in DS.

[Chi]

Mary only works because she is so absurd! A FREAKING COW. WITH EVIL BLUE EYES. WTF JAPAN?!

[Chi]

when was the last time you saw a beetle or a cow shoot pink and blue balls at you -

Well, there WAS this one time when I was down in Cornwall...

[markedkiller78]

when was the last time you saw a beetle or a cow shoot pink and blue balls at you -

Saturday

The creators artistic vision & imagination should not be confined by realism. I agree that it’s all absurd, but that’s part of the charm for me.

TBH I like both, but if you stuck with space ships then there would be even less to differentiate between all the games.

[SuperPang]

Aye but without Battle Garegga you wouldn't have DOJ so show some respect sonny jim

[charlie chong]

how can you not like the art of garegga
metal look for win