Espgaluda II: Arcade, Black Label, Arrange, and Omake!

[EOJ]

Use this thread to discuss any of these modes. Here are a few resources to get you started:

1) SIN moon's guide on Espgaluda II. Will include sections on BL, Arrange, and Omake! modes soon. Gives very detailed technical data on each stage, but is written entirely in Japanese.
2) Shmups.com Espgaluda II guide by GaijinPunch. The best guide available in English right now, but it contains incorrect end game/clear bonus calculations (see below for the correct information).

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The end game/clear bonus for the Arcade PCB (and Arcade and X360 modes in the port) is calculated as follows:

1) 20,000,000 points per life (max 120,000,000)
2) 10,000,000 points per life box (max 60,000,000)
3) 4,000 points per barrier division (there are 4,000 divisions in the barrier gauge, so the max bonus is 16,000,000 points if you end the game with a full barrier gauge)
4) Stage 6 clear bonus x2

So if you get all six life boxes, no miss the entire game, and end stage 6 with a full barrier, you can get 196 million as your clear bonus, plus the stage 6 clear bonus x2 (which is very little, maybe a million points max?).
As long as you get all six life boxes, you will finish your game with a minimum of 80 million points as a clear bonus.

[EOJ]

In regard to Omake! mode, it seems Kakusei should be used sparingly, and for scoring perhaps just on bosses? You should use it in the beginning of a stage to get your gold up. When you get 500 gems and 1000 gold, the zesshikai chime sounds, your multiplier keeps raising quickly (the big number on the top of the screen), and all enemies give you gold. It seems more beneficial to stay out of Kakusei at this point, as all the gold you get is multiplied by the multiplier, so your score will soon skyrocket. When you go into Kakusei your multiplier goes down slowly. You should use Kakusei on bosses because if you don't you just get a bunch of gems after you destroy each phase.

All bullets near you turn red in Omake. These red bullets disappear when you go in or out of Kakusei mode. They also turn into gems or gold when you kill a bullet cancelling enemy when not in Kakusei.

The best way to increase your multiplier is to use the guard barrier over enemies that shoot out a lot of bullets. You'll absorb them all and they'll add to your multiplier. It's possible to get a max 99,999 multiplier in some stages by doing this. Once you max it out do NOT go into Kakusei mode, instead just blast all the enemies and reel in the points. See this vid to see how it's done on stage 6: http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm9890540

There seems to be a proximity effect too, but I'm not too sure on this.

[EOJ]

Updated previous post with info on how to max the Omake mode stage multiplier at 99,999, including a video showing how to do it.

[Ast-Kot]

I broke the billion with Ageha counter stopping the last stage but I've not understand the gold's counter system. Every time I reach 1000 gold's counter with 500 gems the gold's counter restarts from zero. How many time does it change or how does it works correctly?

[emphatic]

I broke the billion with Ageha counter stopping the last stage but I've not understand the gold's counter system. Every time I reach 1000 gold's counter with 500 gems the gold's counter restarts from zero. How many time does it change or how does it works correctly?

Omake!?

If this is this case, it is because you've used the barrier. This will give you a refill of half the bar and zero your gold.

[lam47]

Are you sure? I swear it just goes over from 1000 to 0.

[dmauro]

That's how it works. You'll hear a sound effect (I think it's the credit sound) and it's just refilled half of your bomb gauge.

[oldzkool]

I have read the strategy guide on shumps and have the following question:

For BL mode, should Zesshikai be used in preference to Kakusei in all situations? If so, is there any real point to Kakusei in BL (except for boss fights).

Am trying to love this game back can't seem to find a mode that's "jiving" with me. Omake comes close but is too easy due to the bullet cancelling when switching from/to Kakusei.

Or am I totally missing the point 

[EOJ]

You can use Kakusei a lot in BL in scoring. It's good for destroying large enemies, turrets, or popcorn enemies, as they burst into a lot of bullets, then cancel all those in normal mode by killing something else.

I think BL is OK, but not great. It tries to mix Espgaluda 2 scoring with DDP chaining, but ends up being too complicated for its own good. Like all Black Labels, it's easier to 1CC than the original game. Arrange is also OK, but ends up being too much of a boss milking snoozefest on the higher ranks (I like boss milking in general, but just cancelling the same red bullets over and over for minutes on end isn't exactly thrilling). Omake is OK but it's way too easy, though some top scorers (ABI, I.O, SIN, etc) seem to think this is actually the best mode of all the bonus modes, so it's probably better than I think right now.

The best modes are still Arcade/360, and that's the real reason to buy and play the game. 

[oldzkool]

You can use Kakusei a lot in BL in scoring. It's good for destroying large enemies, turrets, or popcorn enemies, as they burst into a lot of bullets, then cancel all those in normal mode by killing something else.

I think BL is OK, but not great. It tries to mix Espgaluda 2 scoring with DDP chaining, but ends up being too complicated for its own good. Like all Black Labels, it's easier to 1CC than the original game. Arrange is also OK, but ends up being too much of a boss milking snoozefest on the higher ranks (I like boss milking in general, but just cancelling the same red bullets over and over for minutes on end isn't exactly thrilling). Omake is OK but it's way too easy, though some top scorers (ABI, I.O, SIN, etc) seem to think this is actually the best mode of all the bonus modes, so it's probably better than I think right now.

The best modes are still Arcade/360, and that's the real reason to buy and play the game. 

For Arcade/360 mode, I have problems with Zesshikai. Should one not bother with it (Zesshikai) until a 1CC is achievable (or close to it)?   

[EOJ]

You can play without Zesshikai, I used to see lots of Japanese players do this in the arcades. It's easier to 1CC that way, and basically plays just like Espgaluda 1.

Zesshikai really isn't so intimidating. Some good spots to use it (where it's really easy, and gives you lots of points) include the last part of stage 4 and the "drop down" sequence in stage 5. And of course, use it on the last phase of the stage 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 bosses for big (and easy) points!

[ageha]

can someone please tell me how I get the 1up in stage 3?

can't find anything really explaining it

[EOJ]

-You can't use your barrier (manually or autobarrier) from the start of the midboss fight until the 1UP location
-Have to destroy all 6 parts of the midboss (in its first phase)
-Have to use Zesshikai to reveal the 1UP (on the last ledge of the stage, to the left of the barrier replenishment carrier).

You can die and still get it.

[ageha]

awesome

that worked great 

thx EOJ

[dimmu--borgir]

Hmm, must ask if the safespot "all" players use on the final boss last phase of the second last attack have been removed on the Xbox 360? I usually manage to do 70% of the times but on the videos I've seen they seems to stand absolutely still. I always have to move a little. Only seen the PCB videos on youtube though.

[EOJ]

The safespot is still there. It requires perfect timing & positioning at the start of the attack to be able to not move during it. I never managed to do it on the PCB, but I've done it a few times on the X360 port ('not moving', I mean). Most of the time I have to tap left or right a little during the pattern.

[dimmu--borgir]

Ok, I try more.

Also when practicing on stage 5 everything went ok until I came to the boss. All patterns where totally screwed up. Never seen this before. 

[EOJ]

Yeah, there are some glitches. A patch will be released next week that should fix all of that.

A trick to the last boss safe spot I've found is to move into position right away (just to the right of the half-way point on top of your barrier gauge), use shot for 1-2 seconds then switch to laser. Don't just hold laser from the start. Seems to work well for me most of the time.

[dimmu--borgir]

Yes, you are right. The video I'm watchin does exactly this.

Damn, I'm so close to a 1CC now. Hardest game for me so far.

[EOJ]

Damn, I'm so close to a 1CC now. Hardest game for me so far.

Just use Asagi, don't use Zesshikai except on the final phases of bosses, try to get into the tough boss fights with 500 Gems, and use Kakusei to help you through. The last boss is really easy with Asagi if you just manage your gems, get gems after each boss phase, and use your barrier in the tricky spots.

Still a tough game though, no matter what you do.

[dimmu--borgir]

Ok, I'd finally 1CC:d this game! Definately my greatest shmups moment ever. I'd use Asagi as you said. Much easier but I had to use a quite different strategy compared to Ageha. I'd had to start from zero. I was close yesterday also but I used Kakusei to late on the final boss final phase which made it impossible. Done correcly down in 5 sec. Two life left today. Time to celebrate. Now, where my wife?  >

I'm sooooo happy!

[Dude]

what are the requirements for Zesshikai. Sold the pcb long ago and forgot. There was a gem or gold count needed to enter this correct. I have tried holding down the button with 500 gem and 500 gold and it still wont enter this mode on 360.

[TonK]

Um, can someone explain how to play Black Label mode?

[TonK]

Um, can someone explain how to play Black Label mode?

Please.

[ookitarepanda]

Been playing a lot of this since March, and it's been slow going since I got the 1cc and wanted to try to up my score.

GP's write-up on shmups references a 7-lives glitch, and this post references it as well. Does anyone have actual documentation of it working?

[EOJ]

I added the correct clear bonus information to the OP, as GP's guide has the wrong info. I got this from SINmoon's guide, but it was previously only in Japanese.