Deathsmiles [strats]

[EOJ]

To sum up, gold generation is probably dependent just on what mode the player is in when they are killed, rather that what shot/bomb kills them.

This is true throughout the game in or out of fever mode.  For example I usually go into laser to fire off roses, then switch to lock-shot to generate more crowns and orange crowns from certain enemies as the roses kill them.  It all comes down to what mode you're in when the enemy dies.  

Realizing that the bomb acts the same way explains a lot.

You have to be hitting the enemy with a non-bomb attack when it dies though. You can't just bomb and then hold down lock-shot (with the lock-shot not locked to an enemy). You won't get anything (I've tried this). So it's not really about "what mode you're in" when the enemy dies.

[EOJ]

There's a neat trick for creating slowdown that slows the counter down when you're in power-up mode: Hold one shot button down, and rapidly tap the other (just like Mushi's "hold C and tap A" power shot). It works really good on the graveyard stage with Follett. I always wondered how guys were getting so much slowdown on that stage, and here's the answer.

[AlephNull]

Continuing from the Cave Arcade DS thread:

Also, it seems he (TAC) let's all the crowns hit the ground.  Won't the counter hit 10,000 quicker if you get the crowns as opposed to letting them break?

According to the Deathsmiles wiki, when in power-up mode, each item adds a fixed amount to your bonus counter, regardless of item type.

When your bonus counter is at       Each item increases it by
0～　　　                                         1　
100～　　                                       2
200～　　                                       4
500～　　                                       8　
1000～　                                       12
2000～　                                       16
5000～　                                       20　　　　　

So you should always let items break up as much as possible before picking them up. (At low bonus values, picking up a gold crown is still worth more for score than picking up 4 skulls, but this is more than offset by the low bonus counter gain). Also, you want to enter power-up mode with a high bonus counter, to minimize the time spent outside of fever (+10000) mode during power-up

[GaijinPunch]

Word, thanks.
One other thing:

You have to be hitting the enemy with a non-bomb attack when it dies though.

Wouldn't that be "an enemy".  As per my post in the main forum, it looks like TAC locks on to one of those pigs, then bombs the others to refill up to 1000 immediately.

[EOJ]

Yeah, I think you're right. You just have to be hitting something.

I haven't touched this game in weeks, but I plan to get back to it soon. Too busy with Futari atm.

[GaijinPunch]

I think I saw another spot on Halloween Town where he has the owl shoot the fireballs and they're spinning around on the pigs.  Just before they die he locks on and reaps the benfits.  I'd have to rewatch though.  As most tricks that guy does, I'm sure it's super easy.  

[GaijinPunch]

Is the Canyon unlocked automatically with Rosa?  If not, how do I unlock it?

[EOJ]

Is the Canyon unlocked automatically with Rosa?

Nope.

If not, how do I unlock it?

Hold ABC on P2, press CCCA ↑ ← → ↓ BCCC ↓↓ ABCBA on P1.

Congrats on getting the PCB.

[GaijinPunch]

Is the Canyon unlocked automatically with Rosa?

Nope.

If not, how do I unlock it?

Hold ABC on P2, press CCCA ↑ ← → ↓ BCCC ↓↓ ABCBA on P1.

Congrats on getting the PCB.

Thanks, thanks, and thanks!

[GaijinPunch]

Who do I have to blow to tell me the trick to fill up on the eye balls?  My record is about 250 or so. and I'm sure that was luck.

[GaijinPunch]

Another question?  Does the gauge countdown the same for all characters?  Watching the super play, Stage 1-2 for Casper & Follett, Casper's lasts a lot longer.  The main difference I would think is that on 1-1 Casper went into power mode twice, and Follett only once.

[EOJ]

Yeah, it's the same for all characters, it doesn't have anything to do with how many times you go into power-up mode. The counter goes down faster or slower depending on if you're using shot, laser, or lock on. Tap shot (or press nothing at all) for the counter to go down slowly.

According to the DS booklet (page 12), if you press no button or tap shot, the counter reduces by 1 every 4 frames. If you hold laser or lock-on, it reduces 1 by every 2 frames, so twice as fast.

[GaijinPunch]

Ah, that's it.  Guess I should read the book.  Trying to come up w/ a decent scoring strategy.  Since I suck w/ the refill that don't require bombs, I should probably stretch it out.

[EOJ]

Yeah, those bomb-refills are a pain. I still haven't worked them out (I think I did the volcano one once), that's one reason why I've set the game aside for the time being.

[GaijinPunch]

The bomb ones I can do (on the rail road stage, the car, the plant thingies).  It's the eyeball ones I can't figure out.  I see the Follett super play he moves the option over to the far right to hit a rock at the right moment.  I think that's the key. But he does it in the graveyard (halfway through) as well on "only eyes" it seems.  I can't even do it when there's like 50 of them on screen (halfway through the swamp).

Got to the end of the Canyon today.  That stage is so counter intuitive.

[AlephNull]

This might be helpful, though I still fail most of the bomb situations. The only bomb one which I can do consistently is on the green ivys at the end of Forest (and in a way slightly different from that described in that wiki page).

The wiki page suggests a counter of 350-400 if you're using the bomb blast to generate the gold. GaijinPunch, maybe this is what you're missing?

Could someone with the DVD describe what happens during the eyeball-only spot? i.e. where the character is positioned, how much counter is there just before bombing, is lock mode entered, and if so, is it entered before/after the bomb, and where's the lock targeted, etc.

In fact, does the DVD have anything showing/describing the trick in detail, like a bonus vid or an explanation in the booklet?

[BLU]

According to the DS booklet (page 12), if you press no button or tap shot, the counter reduces by 1 every 4 frames. If you hold laser or lock-on, it reduces 1 by every 2 frames, so twice as fast.

Erm, excuse me but it's a bit wrong.

It's true that if you don't press anything the counter reduces 1 every 4 frames, but any button that you press reduces the counter 1 by 2 frames. This is true for all attack types (shot, laser, lock). The only difference is that when you tap shot, there are gaps between taps when you don't press the button opposed to the laser (which you hold down the whole time). Locking is the same deal, except when you lock-on, you press two buttons instead of one, thus reducing the counter 1 every frame.

I heard that the bomb reduces 4 every frame, no?

[GaijinPunch]

Dear Motherfuckers

After watching certain spots in the super play vid (a few times) it seems that on the eyeballs (except for the volcano stage), he hits shot, then goes immediately into lock mode.  This has a two fold effect.  
1: Make the counter go down faster
2: Hit enemies other than those facing directly in front of the character.

It's best illustrated in the swamp and the end of the grave yard.

The one in the middle of the graveyard is hard as balls.

[thegreathopper]

On the character selection screen there are two options under each character, could someone let me know what they do please.

[EOJ]

The first option lets you see the how to play demo before you start, the second option skips this demo. I always choose the second option, as the demo is a waste of time.

[jaycm1]

can soemone please explain how you can do the stages without selecting rank 3 as im not very good 

[markedkiller78]

Does anyone have any more tips or links to a vid showing the ?bomb? trick? I understand the theory, but II?d like to see it myself.

Does it happen in the Rosa 500m vid?

What?s a reasonable aim for each level point wise? I?m averaging

A-1(ship)      0.1m   I always go here first
A-2(Graveyard)   10m
B-1(Jungle)      10m-20
B-2(Road-Car)   10m   
C-1(Train)      10m
C-2(Volcano)      20m+

[GaijinPunch]

Does anyone have any more tips or links to a vid showing the ?bomb? trick? I understand the theory, but II?d like to see it myself.

Guess I should've tried this.

GP's tips on how to make the bomb trick work.

1: Your bomb needs to "hit" the target enemy.  That's to say, the one that gives you the huge amount of big crowns when you hold AB.  W/ the bomb hitting them, they'll die quicker and spawn the crowns before your counter hits zero.  Good practice is to lock on to them, then shoot the bomb.
2: You must be holding AB, but don't have to be locked on them.
3: Some enemies die quicker than others.  This makes a big difference since only a couple of frames can ass fuck you.  If you need to get get the counter down quickly (from like 400 when you bomb) you should be holding down A+B *FOR THE WHOLE DURATION OF THE BOMB*.  This makes the counter go down faster.  If it's something somewhat small (the green eyeballs), then it's likely not necessary.