I continue my story of suffering with 'Zed Blade' this month.
I have learned how to create save states in the Hamster releases, that is the most unintuitive thing because you are forced to return to the main selection menu of the rom to load the state, something that is not specified in the user manual, and good luck not deleting your save state if you try to use the option to restart the game, or for a mistake you upload a high score, but whatever...
I'm trying to complete the game in the Normal mode, by not losing a single life and by only using the bombs in the most extreme situations. Giving that there are so many fire options and combinations, in some parts and depending on your selection of weapons at the start of the game, you are forced to use the bombs. I'm looking at you, rock barriers in the level 4.
And I'm trying to only use two save states in each level. Once at the start of the level, other before every boss.
I'm currently in the level 5 boss.
And I need to say that NMK was a company managed by psychopaths.
There is a point in which they decide that if you have too many lives, you may have a wrong impression of the game being too easy, fucking bastards.
So they included a rank system, with two different balances.
If you have 2 lives left, the game will use a normal and well balanced layout.
But if you have 3 or more lives, they will introduce new elements to try to drain your lives in the most demented ways.
Can you see this only empty space to dodge a curtain of bullets? You are fucked up, once you take this path, they will introduce a ship coming from nowhere shooting unavoidable bullets in this empty space that looked like the safest path.
Because the hit box in your ship is fucking gigantic.
And the end, the best way to complete the game with a 1CC is simply studying the most fucked up parts in its design, and using the bombs in these parts.
The game is generous giving you extra lives and extra bombs, so with a good management of your bombs and live stock plus tons of memorization, I can see a 1CC something achievable.
But this game is also a showcase of how much these classic arcade shmups were designed under the idea of taking your coins, contrary to the console exclusive shmup releases with perfect, challenging and never-unfair balances such as 'Eliminate Down'.
