@Drake & Sapz:
sometimes, though, I'd revisit a shmup (Armed Police Batrider and Varth) and get better at them without stressing myself so much, compared to having grinded them (Varth, not so much, but with APB I was struggling to try to learn how to score well on the first stage) before the hiatus.
@Triple Factorial:
haven't watched your replay yet, but I'd say that there must be some way for you to clear EoSD on Normal. Different players have different developed (or underdeveloped) virtues and weaknesses. Some may have better self-control (paraphrasing
this article, "A good gameplan requires above all a clear head to apply it."), some may have a better sense of observation (for example, noticing that you're dying too much on the exact same spots along the stages and planning out what to do to make that section easier), some may have better movement precision or bullet/path reading speed/range (maybe I mean the ability to see the "safest" escape options which lead to more escape options -- I mean, avoiding cornering yourself when dodging, if you see that the attacks are going to corner you further -- and plan ahead or spontaneously). If at first you get frustrated, this may mean that you don't have an answer to overcome the problem of why are you dying and what can you do against it.
Some suggestions:
- if you notice that a pattern is being too troublesome for you (even after watching replays to see other ways of dealing with them), bomb them. Example: one of Meiling's nonspells, where she spreads kunai around herself and may clip you (at least on Lunatic). Don't be afraid to die if you don't have bombs left, as bombs and lives are resources that must be spent properly, and dying with bombs on stock is harmful.
- There are some places along the stages which are made easier if you.. uh.. memorize them. Examples: some of the stage 4's attacks are aimed away from you, so you don't have to move around across the screen; the streams of enemies that shoot aimed spreads at you are made less troublesome if you know where they'll come from. Also, there are some safespots in stages 3 (one of the top corners against the fairies near the end of the stage) and 5. (top section of the screen when fairy maids come from the sides shooting downwards)
- keep playing the games on one credit until you've memorized enough to get to stage 5 with enough resources (lives and bombs), then SPEND IT EASY! (of course, the last two stages+bosses can ruin your credit, but by then you'll have developed the mentality in which dying with bombs in stock is harmful, so if you do it once, you bomb more instinctively due to the effort needed to bring said resources so far)
- maybe it would be a valid suggestion to play other shmups too, so that you get used with progressively faster bullet speeds, so you can, with time, be able to make decisions faster and more naturally when you come back to EoSD.
- finally, don't force yourself; like I mentioned before, grinding a game doesn't necessarily warrant satisfactory results, because frustration is usually a reaction from not having an answer to a given problem. Progress isn't something that you can force into yourself in such a short time.