Shmups Wiki -- The Digital Library of Shooting Games - User contributions [en]

Strikers 1945 II

2024-04-07T04:20:01Z

John Vida: /* Quick killing certain waves of enemies */

[[File:S1945ii-logo-ingame.png|325px|center]]
----
{{GameInfobox
|bordercolor = #009eed
|innerbordercolor = #009eed
|title = Strikers 1945 II
|background = #f7fcfc
|image = Strikers1945ii-title.png
|width = 324px;
|imagecaption = Title screen
|imagescalepx = 180px

|developer = [[Psikyo]]
|music = Masaki Izutani
|program = Shiori Saito Keisuke Takagi Kenichi Fujita Kunihiko Nogomi
|art = Yoshiyuki Takani
|releasedate = 1997
|previousgame = [[Sol Divide]]
|nextgame = [[Zero Gunner]]
}}

'''''Strikers 1945 II''''' (''ストライカーズ1945II'') is an arcade game developed and published by [[Psikyo]] in 1997. It is the second game in the ''Strikers 1945 (Series)''. The first game being ''[[Strikers 1945]]'' and later being followed up by ''[[Strikers 1999]]'' ''(Strikers 1945 III)''. In 1998, the game was also ported to the PlayStation and Sega Saturn.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}

== Gameplay Overview ==
[[File:S1945ii-shipselection.png|226px|thumb|right|Ship selection.]]
Each ship has a couple of mechanics to them that are unique to them. They can either have a main shot that is either a '''Wide''' shot type or a '''Forward''' shot type. These get stronger with each [[File:Power-up-small.png]] power up item they pick up. Besides that, every ship has a unique secondary shot they get after picking up power ups. You can increase these up to 4 times. After that, picking up any [[File:Power-up-small.png]] items will instead just give 4,000 points. Touching flying enemies won't kill the player. Instead they will lose one of their power ups.

Ships will start out with 2 [[File:S1945ii-bomb-small.png]] bombs in stock. These vary in functionality between ships. You can hold up to 9 bombs in stock. Picking up any more after that will give 10,000 points instead. 
If the player gets hit while holding '''5 or 6 bombs''', the ship will drop 1 bomb when it dies. 
If the player gets hit while holding '''7 of more bombs''', the ship will drop 2 bombs when it dies.

Attacking enemies and dealing damage also increases your '''[[charge meter]]'''. After reaching a certain threshold, the player can choose to use a charge shot. Effects differ with each ship. 
After all the '''green bars''' have been filled, the player can use a '''LVL 1''' charge. 
After all the '''yellow bars''' have been filled, the player can use a '''LVL 2''' charge. 
After all the '''red bars''' have been filled, the player can use a '''LVL 3''' charge. 
The game will automatically use the highest level charge available. After using one, the meter will be lowered. How much depends on the LVL of the charge that has been used. LVL 1 charges generate the most quickly and can be used very often. LVL 2 charges take a while longer to charge and are usually a lot stronger. LVL 3 charges can take up an entire stage to fully charge, so the player has to make a real effort to get these. 

[[File:S1945ii-Charge-meter-together@2x.png|Charge meter.]]

=== Progression ===
This game takes place over 8 stages. The first four of which are randomized in order. This is important, because the stages still get progressively more difficult. This is because of the '''[[rank]]''' system the game has.

After killing the final boss in stage 8, the player gets to see a result screen that grades them on their performace. It judges how fast you cleared each level, how many medals the player has picked up (the timing of the medals is irrelevant) and how many enemies the player has killed. If the player did alright in these areas, they'll receive a silver medal. If the player did it (nearly) flawlessly, they'll recieve a golden medal.

After the results screen is over, the game starts the second '''[[loop]]'''. In the loop, rank is increased even further, meaning bullets start to get much faster. Most flying enemies will also shoot '''[[Help:Glossary#Revenge_Bullets|revenge bullets]]''' when they die. Again, the stage order of 2-1 to 2-4 has been randomized, but rank will at this point be maxed out and there is no difference in how these four stages will play.

=== Controls ===
----
* '''A:''' Fire the player's Shot weapon. Each ship's shot button has a different function. If the charge meter has reached LVL 1, the player's ship stops shooting and instead will charge a special attack. To keep shooting, the players has to start pressing the button repeatedly to prevent the ship from performing a special attack. Special attacks vary between ships.
* '''B:''' Releases a screen-clearing Bomb. Bomb functionality varies between ships.

== Ships ==
<h3> DH-98 Mosquito </h3>
{{S1945iiShipInfo
|headcolor = #db8400
|backcolor = #FFFDeF
|bordercolor = #444444
|fontcolor = #fefefe
|charname = DH-98 Mosquito
|shipimage = [[Image:S1945ii-Mosquito.png]]
|p1 = Main Shot
|v1 = Wide
|p2 = Secondary Shot
|v2 = {{LetterGrade | B}}
|p3 = Speed
|v3 = {{LetterGrade | F}}
|p4 = Bomb
|v4 = {{LetterGrade | S}}
|p5 = Charge
|v5 = {{LetterGrade | A}}
|caption =
'''Overview'''
* '''Secondary Shot: Consecutive Rocket Missile''' Mosquito shoots missiles directly forward. The amount that can be on screen at one time can be increased by picking up [[File:Power-up-small.png]] items. The next wave of missiles are ready as soon as the previous ones have hit an enemy or have gone off the screen. Meaning that the closer you are to an enemy, the more often the missiles will shoot.
* '''Bomb: Mosquito Attackers''' A set of bomber planes fly from below to nuke the entire screen, clearing bullets and dealing damage to enemies. After which, a group of smaller planes come forward to shoot enemies and block projectiles. They leave after a few seconds, or if they have been hit a couple of times.

'''Charge Shot: Royal Napalm'''
* '''''LVL 1''''' - The ship will drop a bomb right in front of them, causing a series of explosions that go steadily up the screen, dealing damage to any enemies caught in the explosions.
* '''''LVL 2''''' - The ship will drop 2 bombs for even bigger damage.
* '''''LVL 3''''' - The same two bombs now have significantly increased in explosion size and damage.
|content =

'''Strengths:'''
* Mosquito has the easiest time speedkilling bosses. If the player sits close to an enemy, the missiles basically keep respawning instantly. This will deal very high damage and quickly kill any large enemies.
* The bombs you get from your charges also deal a lot of damage. Well-placed charges that hit an enemy with multiple explosions help make an already short fight even shorter.
* The bomb is also the best defensive bomb in the game. It both clears the screen of all bullets very quickly and the helper planes make it so the player has a lot room to go towards after using one. Unlike for example Lightning's bomb, which restricts your movement much more.
'''Weaknesses:'''
* Mosquito has the lowest movement speed out of all the ships. A very big disadvantage in a game where the player is sometimes forced to dodge fast and random revenge bullets.
* The charges require good timing if the enemy you're trying to hit keeps moving. Something made more difficult by the low movement speed.
* Mosquito in general is a hard ship to get used to. There is a lot of potential, but it requires a lot of very good routing and execution to make him really stand out amongst the other ships.
----
'''Top Replay:''' [http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm12823306 alcholic - 3,251,100 - 2-ALL (pt1)] [http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm12823904 (pt2)] [http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm12823986 (pt3)] [http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm12825372 (pt4)] 
[https://youtu.be/z1yk3wyqqlA SDD-Kaede - 3,001,200 - 2-ALL]

}}

<h3> F5U Flying Pancake </h3>
{{S1945iiShipInfo
|headcolor = #008CEF
|backcolor = #eeF4FF
|bordercolor = #444444
|fontcolor = #fefefe
|charname = F5U Flying Pancake
|shipimage = [[File:S1945ii-Flying Pancake.png|center]]
|p1 = Main Shot
|v1 = Wide
|p2 = Secondary Shot
|v2 = {{LetterGrade | B}}
|p3 = Speed
|v3 = {{LetterGrade | S}}
|p4 = Bomb
|v4 = {{LetterGrade | B}}
|p5 = Charge
|v5 = {{LetterGrade | B}}
|caption =
'''Overview'''
* '''Secondary Shot: Automatic Laser''' Flying Pancake shoots precisely targetted blue lasers at enemies. These move very fast and help clear the screen of any small enemies as soon as they appear. Picking up [[File:Power-up-small.png]] items increases the amount of lasers that can be on screen at once.
* '''Bomb: XB-35 Buster Formation''' Two large planes together come from the bottom of the screen and start sitting in the middle. They block projectiles and have a homing attack. They will disappear after a few seconds, or after taking a lot of hits.

'''Charge Shot: Buster Laser'''
* '''''LVL 1''''' - From the middle of the ship, Pancake will shoot a laser beam directly forward for a couple of seconds. This beam deals continuous damage for as long as it touches an enemy.
* '''''LVL 2''''' - Now it will fire 2 beams, but they come from the sides of the ship. This charge also slows down Pancake a bit.
* '''''LVL 3''''' - Pancake fires a huge beam forward. The ship sits inside this beam and becomes completly invulnerable (both by projectiles, lasers ect.). It also lasts slightly longer.
|content =

'''Strengths:'''
* Pancake is the easiest character to learn and use effectively. The secondary shot is essentially a homing weapon. There also aren't many complicated setups that the other characters have with their charges. Definitely the most straight-forward character and considered to be one of the easiest to clear the game with.
* This ship is also very consistent to route the second loop with. It kills any zako enemy relatively quickly so the player has time to dodge the incoming suicide bullets. Having the second-highest speed in the game also helps here.
* It's very effecitve in killing small enemies quickly during boss fights for extra points. In some boss fights, killing an enemy wave quickly makes the next wave appear sooner. Usually Pancake can get a lot of extra waves without any trouble or risk of killing the boss too quickly.
* Pancake's LVL 3 charge can turn even the hardest part in the game to become completely meaningless. It can be used to great effect to do lots of risky strategies in the second loop that benefit both survival and score a lot.
'''Weaknesses:'''
* The bomb has to come up the screen before it start to block projectiles, and it doesn't clear all the bullets on screen. Meaning the player has to slighly anticipate using a bomb and press it earlier than some other ships have to. Also, the bombs only block bullets that come from the top of the screen. If there are still any enemies at the bottom, the bomb only helps the second it comes into screen before going to the middle.
* Passive damage (without using any charges) is quite low. The secondary weapon doesn't deal much damage and the wide main shot is only good when getting close to enemies.
----
'''Top Replay:''' [https://youtu.be/q4aaBeNg5hc WC. - 3,519,100 - 2-ALL] (Incomplete replay) 
[https://youtu.be/pGKBuI5oVLE Y.Saito - 3,328,300 - 2-ALL] (Live Stunfest 2018)

}}

<h3> Focke-Wulf Ta152 </h3>
{{S1945iiShipInfo
|headcolor = #316b18
|backcolor = #f7feeb
|bordercolor = #444444
|fontcolor = #fefefe
|charname = Focke-Wulf Ta152
|shipimage = [[Image:S1945ii-Focke-wulf.png]]
|p1 = Main Shot
|v1 = Forward
|p2 = Secondary Shot
|v2 = {{LetterGrade | B}}
|p3 = Speed
|v3 = {{LetterGrade | B}}
|p4 = Bomb
|v4 = {{LetterGrade | E}}
|p5 = Charge
|v5 = {{LetterGrade | B}}
|caption =
'''Overview'''
* '''Secondary Shot: Giant Rocket Missile''' Focke-wulf shoot missiles forward from the middle of it's ship. After picking up 1 [[File:Power-up-small.png]] item, the ship get two missiles. With each subsequent pickup adds 1 more missile that can be on screen at once. After a missile has hit their target or has left the screen, a new one can be shot.
* '''Bomb: A9/A10 Rocket''' The ship performs a "backflip", during which it is invincible, and huge rocket comes up from below the screen. This rocket blocks all incoming projecticles and deals damage to any enemies it rams over.

'''Charge Shot: Plasma Mine'''
* '''''LVL 1''''' - The ship will create a field right in front of it that blocks all projecticles and also deals a bit damage. After which, it will start to move slowly to the top of the screen.
* '''''LVL 2''''' - Same as LVL 1, but the size of the field is notably bigger.
* '''''LVL 3''''' - The field is now much larger. Around 4 times as large as a LVL 2 charge. It also stays right at where it spawned for a few seconds before going very slowly up the screen.
|content =

'''Strengths:'''
* Focke-wulf, like Mosquito, is very good at killing large enemies quickly if you can get even a little close to them. Sitting very close (or even on top) of these enemies makes the missiles respawn essentially instantly for great damage. And Fockewulf is also has a straight forward shot so even if sits at the bottom of the screen, he still does decent damage.
* His charge can help out in varies situations. Especially some of the more ridiculous parts in the second loop.
'''Weaknesses:'''
* Even with the occasional point blanking, Focke-wulf remains one of the ships with the lowest damage output, if not THE lowest. The charge shot deals basically no damage and in almost all instances only serves as a defense mechanism.
* It's also tricky to kill all enemies as this ship. The speed is alright, but the straight forward shot combined with low damage can make things very tough.
* The rocket bomb is easily the worst bomb in the game. It deals an unimpressive amount of damage and doesn't help much to protect the player. It's off the screen very quickly and only clears a very small portion of it.
* The charge shot only shines in very specific situations (and mostly exclusively in the second loop). The field is only in front of the player for maybe two seconds before it goes up the screen. And there is very little reason to follow it up there.
----
'''Top Replay:''' [https://youtu.be/aU303s2G2kA I.O - 2,792,400 - 2-ALL]

}}

<h3> J7W Shinden </h3>
{{S1945iiShipInfo
|headcolor = #427373
|backcolor = #fefcf3
|bordercolor = #444444
|fontcolor = #fefefe
|charname = J7W Shinden
|shipimage = [[Image:S1945ii-Shinden.png]]
|p1 = Main Shot
|v1 = Forward
|p2 = Secondary Shot
|v2 = {{LetterGrade | E}}
|p3 = Speed
|v3 = {{LetterGrade | A}}
|p4 = Bomb
|v4 = {{LetterGrade | S}}
|p5 = Charge
|v5 = {{LetterGrade | S}}
|caption =
'''Overview'''
* '''Secondary Shot: Heat Missile''' Shinden shoots these heat missiles that are shot forward and stick to enemies, dealing continuous damage while in contact. It shoots them in sets of two. Picking up [[File:Power-up-small.png]] items increases the amount of sets of missiles that can be on screen at once, maxing out at 4 sets (8 missiles). Once the missile is off the screen, it can be fired again.
* '''Bomb: Ryusei-kai Sweep Bombers''' The ship performs a "backflip", during which it is invincible, and six helper ships come to assist the player by forming a shield in front of the player's ship and block projectiles and attack enemies directly in front of them. While they appear, they also clear all the bullets from the screen. These helper ships have very little health and retreat as soon as they are hit a couple of times, or if enough time has passed.

'''Charge Shot: Samurai Sword Type-98'''
* '''''LVL 1''''' - The ship will throws a huge copy of itself forward at high speed, dealing a lot of damage to enemies that it encounters. This copy is slightly bigger than the size of the Shinden.
* '''''LVL 2''''' - Same as LVL 1, but the damage is much greater now. The size of this copy remains the same.
* '''''LVL 3''''' - The copy has drastically increased in size and deals even more damage now.
|content =

'''Strengths:'''
* Shinden's charge shot is the highest damage dealing charge shot in the game by a notably margin. It is extremely good at taking out large enemies very quickly. It also moves at a high speed so there is very little timing necessary.
* The ship is so fast that the straight forward shot is not a very big deal. And straight forwards shot don't benefit from getting close to enemies, so you can play very safe when you use Shinden.
* The bomb is basically the same as the Mosquito's and just as powerful. It's a good asset both for defense and offense.
'''Weaknesses:'''
* Shinden's passive damage (without using charges) falls a bit short compared to some other ships. You really need to use your charges to get through bosses and large enemies quickly. Good management of your charge meter is crucial to playing Shinden well.
* The secondary shot is by far the least useful weapon Shinden has. The shots just don't deal a lot of damage and don't really stick to small enemies or the ones that move around a lot.
----
'''Top Replay:''' [https://youtu.be/7gflqMAClmY M.T - 3,250,100 - 2-ALL]

}}

<h3> Ki84 Hayate </h3>
{{S1945iiShipInfo
|headcolor = #5490ff
|backcolor = #f7faff
|bordercolor = #444444
|fontcolor = #fefefe
|charname = Ki84 Hayate
|shipimage = [[Image:S1945ii-Hayate.png]]
|p1 = Main Shot
|v1 = Wide
|p2 = Secondary Shot
|v2 = {{LetterGrade | A}}
|p3 = Speed
|v3 = {{LetterGrade | C}}
|p4 = Bomb
|v4 = {{LetterGrade | B}}
|p5 = Charge
|v5 = {{LetterGrade | S}}
|caption =
'''Overview'''
* '''Secondary Shot: Syusui Super Rush''' Hayate will release options that move towards enemies and stick to them, dealing damage to whichever enemy they have targetted. The amount of options Hayate has is equal to the power up level he currently is. For example, if the player has picked up 2 [[File:Power-up-small.png]] items, then their ship will have 2 options.
* '''Bomb: Fugaku Covering Fire''' A huge plane comes up the screen directly from below the player's position. This plane blocks incoming projectiles and shoots towards enemies. After absorbing enough damage, or after a couple of seconds, this plane leaves from the top of the screen. This plane is roughly as wide as 90% of the screen.

'''Charge Shot: Syusui Localized Raid'''
* '''''LVL 1''''' - Places one of the Hayate's options directly above the ship. It stays exactly there on screen shooting forward for roughly 10 seconds.
* '''''LVL 2''''' - Same as LVL 1, but it now uses 2 options and they shuffle places. It deals slighly more damage then two individual LVL 1 charges.
* '''''LVL 3''''' - Same as LVL 2, but it now uses 4 options. Together they deal slighly more damage than two individual LVL 2 charges.
|content =

'''Strengths:'''
* Hayate is a popular survival ship, with his homing options, fast speed and wide shot. His passive damage (without using any charges) at far distances from enemies is among best in the game. So you don't have to learn to get close to enemies to deal high damage, like Mosquito and Focke-wulf.
* The options deal a lot of damage and are quick to react and target incoming enemies.
* Hayate's charges stay on the screen for a long while and deal high damage. Making it easy to kill large enemies quickly.
'''Weaknesses:'''
* Hayate's options are unpredictable in which enemy they decide to target if there are many on screen. And will snap from one zako to another really quick. This can be especially troublesome in the loop, where enemies shoot suicide bullets and the player has to make sure no enemy dies from an option while they are sitting close-by.
* The bomb has to come up the screen before it start to block projectiles, and it doesn't clear all the bullets on screen. Meaning the player has to slighly anticipate using a bomb and press it earlier than some other ships have to.
* The hitbox of the bomb is only a little bit larger than it's sprite. So enemies that shoot from the sides rather than from the top of the screen can still get very close to the player.
* The LVL 3 charge is never good enough to save up for. It's just slightly higher damage (which Hayate doesn't need).
----
'''Top Replay:''' [https://youtu.be/nStvM1e6USQ HD. - 3,330,300 - 2-ALL]

}}

<h3> P-38 Lightning </h3>
{{S1945iiShipInfo
|headcolor = #0033db
|backcolor = #f7faff
|bordercolor = #444444
|fontcolor = #fefefe
|charname = P-38 Lightning
|shipimage = [[Image:S1945ii-Lightning.png]]
|p1 = Main Shot
|v1 = Forward
|p2 = Secondary Shot
|v2 = {{LetterGrade | B}}
|p3 = Speed
|v3 = {{LetterGrade | D}}
|p4 = Bomb
|v4 = {{LetterGrade | D}}
|p5 = Charge
|v5 = {{LetterGrade | A}}
|caption =
'''Overview'''
* '''Secondary Shot: Homing Missile''' Lightning keeps shooting homing missiles. These do not increase in power when picking up Power-up items. After picking up 1 [[File:Power-up-small.png]] item, the ship get two missiles. After 2, 3 missles. After 3, 4 missiles. And after picking up 4 (maximum), the player gets 6 missiles. After all the missiles have hit their target, a new wave of missiles will be launched the next time the player shoots.
* '''Bomb: Mustang Attack Formation''' The ship performs a "backflip", during which it is invincible, and five helper ships come to assist the player by forming a shield in front of the player's ship and block projectiles and attack enemies directly in front of them. These helper ships have very little health and retreat as soon as they are hit a couple of times, or if enough time has passed.

'''Charge Shot: Frame Type-II Missiles (One-ton Bomb at LVL 3)'''
* '''''LVL 1''''' - The ship will launch two missiles from the sides of the ship directly forward. Upon impact with an enemy, it'll explode and deal damage to all enemies within the area.
* '''''LVL 2''''' - Same as LVL 1, but the size and damage of them missiles is much greater now. The explosion area is also increased.
* '''''LVL 3''''' - Now, it fill only shoot one large missle from below the player's ship. This one has a significant increase in damage and explosion size and duration. [[https://imgur.com/wm4RIB5 Explosion size]]
|content =

'''Strengths:'''
* Lightning is among the simpliest characters to learn and use. The homing missiles are good for clear zako waves quickly. The forward shot deals a lot of damage to stronger enemies. The charge shot is also easy to use and has an immediate effect.
* The homing missiles make the low ship speed not as big an issue as with some other characters. You don't have to move all over to screen to clear waves of enemies. Only when dealing with large, tankier enemies.
* Pointblanking close to, or on top of enemies, deals notably more damage because of the instantly repeating homing missiles that now spawn continuously.
'''Weaknesses:'''
* The speed combined with the straight forward shot makes it hard to kill a large fleet of enemies. The homing missiles help, but only with zako enemies.
* Lightning's bomb can often not be enough to secure your safety. Especially in the second loop, it is common to use multiple bombs to clear a single section of enemies. They helper ships from the bomb have far too little health to safely hide behind them. Their firepower is also nothing noteworthy.
* Aiming the missiles from the charge shot can sometimes be tricky because of the low speed.
* In general, to make good use of Lightning, a lot of routing has to be done and most things have to be done very specifically.
----
'''Top Replay:''' [http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm14122759 bbb - 2,953,500 - 2-ALL] (Replay only contains loop 2)

}}

== Scoring ==
=== Medals ===
By killing certain ground enemies or destroying scenery, the player can uncover '''Medals''' [[File:S1945ii-medals.gif]]⠀that are hidden throughout the game. They are worth points when players pick them up. The value is determined by how close the player is to picking them up when they are glowing. When the sprite is glowing, the medal will be worth 2,000 points. If they are a bit off, it will be worth 1,000 points. If they are even more off, it will be worth 500 points. If it's not close at all, the medal will only be worth 200 points.

Medals are the single biggest source for high scores. One loop contains 134 medals, worth 268,000 points if all of them were to be picked up when they are at their highest value.

=== Respawn Glitch ===
[[File:S1945ii-respawn-glitch.gif|thumb|right|In some rare cases, you can do this glitch without revenge bullets.]]
If the player does not deal enough damage to the boss before they '''[[time-out]]''', the boss will explode itself and release revenge bullets. However, all the bullets remain on screen and don't disappear. Normally when a boss is killed, all the bullets from the screen will be removed, but not when it times out.

If the player manages to '''die right before they would lose control over their ship''', they will respawn but '''won't lose their extend or bombs'''. But the death animation will still happen and the ship will drop their items (see Gameplay Overview). When the ship respawns on screen, they won't have control and the ship leaves from the top of the screen. If they pick up the items they dropped while on their way, they collect them and recieve any potential score bonuses. It should be noted that by doing this, the player won't recieve points from killing the boss. Meaning this is only worth doing if the score (and or items) are more worth it than just killing the boss before it times out.

The only thing that will reset upon this death is the charge meter, which will be set to have a LVL 1 charge available, the same as if the player would've normally died.

Most bosses (but not all) will not have bullets on screen during the period where the player needs to die. The most common way to perform this glitch is to let the boss time out and kill a [[zako]] enemy which will shoot a revenge bullet. Then try to get hit by the revenge bullet when the time is right. The position where you die is also of crucial importance. The items need to be in the right place when the ship respawns and goes up the screen. Remember that you don't have control over the ship when it respawns. Certain enemies, like the Flying Pancake, have an easier time with this trick because they can sit in the right position and have their homing lasers shoot an enemy that might not be in range with the ship's main shot.

An example for how much this trick is worth; if the player has all their bombs in stock when they die, they'll drop 2 [[File:Power-up-small.png]] items and 2 [[File:S1945ii-bomb-small.png]] bombs. Picking up all these items on the way up will be worth 28,000 points. Subtract the amount of score a normal boss kill would've given you (10,000 in most cases), and the result will be how much score you've gained by doing this glitch.

=== Boss milking ===
Most bosses will repeatedly spawn [[zako]] enemies during the fight (or other unique enemies). The player can decide to keep the boss alive for longer to kill more of these enemies for extra points. In most cases, they'll try to kill the boss just before it times out. Otherwise they miss out on the bonus of killing it, which is always worth more than a couple of extra zako waves.

These zako waves are not always the same. For example, during the fight against '''Syumi Type-0''', the next wave of zako will spawn a few seconds after the previous wave was killed or flew off the screen. Killing these enemies quickly will thus result in more waves. The types of waves and where they come from is also randomized. On the other hand, during the fight against '''Iron Casket''', the enemies will always come in the same formation in a static pattern. These always comes at a set time, regardless of how quickly the previous wave was killed.

Bosses that can be milked include; '''Syumi Type-0''', '''Graf Zeppelin''', '''Gliath''', '''Iron Casket''' and '''Rommel'''. '''Cross Sinker''' also spawns [[zako]] enemies, but only in the second loop.

This trick does not include milking enemis that spawn from the player being at low [[File:Power-up-small.png]] power. That can be done on any boss, but it will override any zako planes that would come on the screen. This is not worth doing for various reasons if the boss spawns zako waves by itself.

=== Quick killing certain waves of enemies ===
During stages, there will be certain enemies that keep respawning when you kill one. This doesn't happen very often, each of these instances can be found here: ''[[Strikers 1945 II/Notable Scoring Sections]]''

This is not referring to killing zako waves during bosses mentioned in the last section, but it works the same. With the exception that there is no randomness involved.

=== Powering down for extra enemies ===
[[File:S1945ii-power-down-strat.gif|thumb|right|Waiting for more power up carriers to come on screen.]]
If the player is at the power level where they have picked up 1 [[File:Power-up-small.png]] item or none at all, the game will spawn a specific group of zako enemies the next time it can. This group consists of 3 blue ships who are worth 200 points each. Follow by the blue ships, there is a red ship. This one is also woth 200 points, but also drops a [[File:Power-up-small.png]] item when it's killed. If there is a stretch of gameplay where there are no zako spawning, the player can choose lose their power ups by touching flying enemies to have these waves of enemies spawn. This is mostly done during boss fights that don't have zako coming in during the fight, but there are some exceptions.

It should be noted that if there are [[File:Power-up-small.png]] items flying on screen, they will prevent more waves of power up carriers spawning.

=== Max bomb bonuses ===
Picking up a bomb [[File:S1945ii-bomb-small.png]] while already having the maximum amount you can carry (that being 9 bombs), rewards the player with 10,000 points instead. Through the game, 16 bombs will be dropped by enemies (one for each stage). Not including bombs that drop when the player dies. If the player can survive without using bombs, they can start getting these bonuses. They can stack up to 90,000 points in bonuses if the player goes through the entire game without using one.

=== End bonus ===
If the player has managed to clear both loops, they will be rewarded a score bonus that depends on how many '''[[extends]]''' and '''bombs''' they have remaining as well as the power-up level they are on. The amount they get will be: 

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| style="font-size:110%" | End Bonus = (20,000 * Extends remaining) + (10,000 * Bombs remaining) + (5,000 * Power-up level)
|}

For example, if the player has 3 extends and 9 bombs when clearing (the maximum you can have), they will be rewarded: 

End Bonus = (20,000 * '''3''') + (10,000 * '''9''') + (5,000 * '''4''') = '''170,000''' points

=== Strategy ===
While the scoring tricks mentioned so far are mostly used throught the game, there are some specific sections that are worth highlighting. 
For more details on these tricks are: ''[[Strikers 1945 II/Notable Scoring Sections]]''

== Stages ==
{| border="0" style="border-collapse:collapse"
|-
| rowspan="3" | [[File:S1945ii-mission1.png|140px]]
| rowspan="3" | ⠀⠀
| style="font-size:120%" | '''N31.5, E128.9 (Japan): East China Sea'''
|-
| '''Target''' ⠀⠀Syumi Type-0 (Huge Flying Boat) '''Midboss''' ⠀⠀Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant
|}

{| border="0" style="border-collapse:collapse"
|-
| rowspan="3" | [[File:S1945ii-mission2.png|140px]]
| rowspan="3" | ⠀⠀
| style="font-size:120%" | '''N68.8, W57.9 (North Pole): North Atlantic Ocean'''
|-
| '''Target''' ⠀⠀Graf Zeppelin (Super Carrier) '''Midboss''' ⠀⠀Nagato
|}

{| border="0" style="border-collapse:collapse"
|-
| rowspan="3" | [[File:S1945ii-mission3.png|140px]]
| rowspan="3" | ⠀⠀
| style="font-size:120%" | '''N36.3, W112.5 (United States of America): Grand Canyon, Colorado River'''
|-
| '''Target''' ⠀⠀ Gliath (Armored Train) '''Midboss''' ⠀⠀-
|}

{| border="0" style="border-collapse:collapse"
|-
| rowspan="3" | [[File:S1945ii-mission4.png|140px]]
| rowspan="3" | ⠀⠀
| style="font-size:120%" | '''N44.9, E6.2 (France): Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans, Rhône-Alpes'''
|-
| '''Target''' ⠀⠀ Iron Casket (Battle Airship) '''Midboss''' ⠀⠀Flakturms (Flak towers)
|}

{| border="0" style="border-collapse:collapse"
|-
| rowspan="3" | [[File:S1945ii-mission5.png|140px]]
| rowspan="3" | ⠀⠀
| style="font-size:120%" | '''S22.4, E18.3 (Namibia): Kalahari Desert'''
|-
| '''Target''' ⠀⠀Rommel (Fortress) '''Midboss''' ⠀⠀Landkreuzer P. 1000 Ratte
|}

{| border="0" style="border-collapse:collapse"
|-
| rowspan="3" | [[File:S1945ii-mission6.png|140px]]
| rowspan="3" | ⠀⠀
| style="font-size:120%" | '''S7.5, W62.4 (Brazil): Madeira Dam'''
|-
| '''Target''' ⠀⠀Cross Sinker (Gigantic submarine) '''Midboss''' ⠀⠀Karl-Gerät
|}

{| border="0" style="border-collapse:collapse"
|-
| rowspan="3" | [[File:S1945ii-mission7.png|140px]]
| rowspan="3" | ⠀⠀
| style="font-size:120%" | '''S7.5, W62.4 (Brazil): C.A.N.Y. Industrial Site'''
|-
| '''Target''' ⠀⠀Block-Ade '''Midboss''' ⠀⠀CANNY I or CANNY II ⠀⠀''(this midboss is decided randomly)''
|}

{| border="0" style="border-collapse:collapse"
|-
| rowspan="3" | [[File:S1945ii-mission8.png|140px]]
| rowspan="3" | ⠀⠀
| style="font-size:120%" | '''S7.5, W62.4 (Brazil): F.G.R. Headquarters'''
|-
| '''Target''' ⠀⠀F.G.R. (Huge mechanical alien) '''Midboss''' ⠀⠀B.B.
|}
[[Category:Medal mechanic]]

Strikers 1945

2024-04-07T03:59:54Z

John Vida: /* Trivia */

[[File:s1945_Logo.png|center|300px]]

{{GameInfobox
|bordercolor = black
|title = Strikers 1945
|background = #f8f8f8
|image = s1945_Title.png
|width = 324px;
|imagecaption = Title screen
|imagescalepx = 180px

|developer = [[Psikyo]]
|
|music = Masaki Izutani
|
|program = Person B
|
|art = Person C
|
|releasedate = 1995

|nextgame = [[Strikers 1945 II]]
}}

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}

== Strikers 1945 ==
'''''Strikers 1945''''' is a 1995 manic shooter developed by [[Psikyo]]. It is the first in the ''Strikers'' series of shooting games, followed by ''[[Strikers 1945 II]]'' (+ ''Strikers 1945 Plus'') and ''[[Strikers 1999]]'' (''Strikers 1945 III''). 
It follows a post-World War II plot where a mysterious organization known as C.A.N.Y. tries to take over the world with new super-weapons, and the "Strikers" team blast off to destroy the new threat. Like many Psikyo titles, it is known for its high bullet speeds and aggressive bosses.

''Strikers 1945'' was ported to the Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Android platforms, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The game is also included in the (currently upcoming) 2022 Sega Astro City Mini V platform.

== Gameplay Overview ==
[[File:S1945_ShipSelect.png|thumb|right|250px|The ship select screen in ''Strikers 1945''.]] ''Strikers 1945'' contains '''eight''' stages of play, with the first four stages played in a random order. There is a '''second loop''' that can be played simply by completing the first eight stages, for a total of 16 stages. The actual stages in ''Strikers 1945'' are often quite brief, with some being shorter than 60 seconds, with the bosses often taking up more time than the stages themselves. A single loop takes about 15 to 20 minutes on average. 

Six ships are available to select, each one with its own shot type, option type, special weapon, and bomb attack.
=== Controls ===
----
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col" style="width: 80px;" | Button
! scope="col" style="width: 330px;" | Function
|-
| <center>'''A (Tap)'''</center> || <center>'''Shot'''</center>Fire the player's Shot weapon.
|-
| <center>'''A (Hold)'''</center> || <center>'''Super-Shot'''</center>Charge up the Super Shot. Release to fire. Can only be performed when the player has [[options]] with them.
|-
| <center>'''B'''</center> || <center>'''Bomb'''</center>Releases a screen-clearing Bomb. Bomb functionality varies between ships.

|-
|}

=== Ships ===
----
''Note: Ship stats are rough guesstimates until more concrete data is found. Research needed. Speed is measured by the number of frames it takes the ship from going from one corner to the other, the smaller the number, the faster the ship is (90F would mean it takes the ship 90 frames or one second and a half for example)''

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:120%; border:1px solid #222222; background-color:#f8f8ff; width: 40%; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"
|-
! colspan=2 style="background-color:#3184BD; color:#ffffff;" | <big>P-38 Lightning</big>
! style="background-color:#a9a9a9; color:#ffffff;" | Power
! style="background-color:#a9a9a9; color:#ffffff;" | Charge
! style="background-color:#a9a9a9; color:#ffffff;" | Bomb
! style="background-color:#a9a9a9; color:#ffffff;" | Movement
|-
{{!}} colspan="2" rowspan="2" | [[File:S1945_Ship_P38.png]]
| style="text-align:center;" | High
| style="text-align:center;" | Fastest
| style="text-align:center;" | Explosive
| style="text-align:center;" | [90F] Slow
|-
|colspan="13" style="font-size:85%;" |
'''Main Shot:''' Fires a straight shot with a low shot limit. Options fire homing missiles.

'''Super-Shot:''' Options stay in place and fire concentrated straight shots.

'''Bomb:''' Performs an invincible somersault and drops a screen-covering explosive. Ship cannot move while bombing.
|}

''' ''Lightning'' is a very solid ship in both stages and bosses thanks to its homing capabilities and heavily increased damage when performing shotgun strats. It has the fastest Super-Shot charge,which is a really desirable trait no matter the Stage, as it allows it to quickly switch between Normal and Super-Shot very quickly, without much downtime. Its main weaknesses are slow turning speed and really poor damage if the player is forced to hug the screen border'''

----

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:120%; border:1px solid #222222; background-color:#f8f8ff; width: 40%; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"
|-
! colspan=2 style="background-color:#4A5A42; color:#ffffff;" | <big>P-51 Mustang</big>
! style="background-color:#a9a9a9; color:#ffffff;" | Power
! style="background-color:#a9a9a9; color:#ffffff;" | Charge
! style="background-color:#a9a9a9; color:#ffffff;" | Bomb
! style="background-color:#a9a9a9; color:#ffffff;" | Movement
|-
{{!}} colspan="2" rowspan="2" | [[File:S1945_Ship_P51.png]]
| style="text-align:center;" | High
| style="text-align:center;" | Slowest
| style="text-align:center;" | Explosive
| style="text-align:center;" | [83F] Average
|-
|colspan="13" style="font-size:85%;" |
'''Main Shot:''' Fires a wide shot with a low shot limit. Options fire straight-shot missiles that deal high damage.

'''Super-Shot:''' Options deploy around the ship and spin in a circle, then slowly move upwards. The options destroy enemy fire and deal constant collision damage.

'''Bomb:''' A squad of heavy aircraft flies in and performs a bombing run.
|}

''' ''Mustang'' has the potential to trivialize certain portions of the game thanks to its high damage and great Super-Shot. Erasing the bullets that come from certain parts of the screen while dealing damage is great for routing and to practically negate some boss attacks. Its weakness come in the form of low main shot damage, meaning that mistiming your Super-Shot comes in a severe drop of damage, and its Super-Shot, while great, has a very slow start-up, so it is a major commitment you must go through in order to make use of it.'''
----

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:120%; border:1px solid #222222; background-color:#f8f8ff; width: 40%; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"
|-
! colspan=2 style="background-color:#5A6B94; color:#ffffff;" | <big>Spitfire Mk.VII</big>
! style="background-color:#a9a9a9; color:#ffffff;" | Power
! style="background-color:#a9a9a9; color:#ffffff;" | Charge
! style="background-color:#a9a9a9; color:#ffffff;" | Bomb
! style="background-color:#a9a9a9; color:#ffffff;" | Movement
|-
{{!}} colspan="2" rowspan="2" | [[File:S1945_Ship_Spitfire.png]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Average
| style="text-align:center;" | Fast
| style="text-align:center;" | Action
| style="text-align:center;" | [74F] Fast
|-
|colspan="13" style="font-size:85%;" |
'''Main Shot:''' Fires a wide shot with a low shot limit. Options trail ship movement, firing drill missiles that slow down and deal constant damage to targets.

'''Super-Shot:''' Options deploy in front of the ship and fire concentrated splits shots at a slight angle.

'''Bomb:''' Releases a massive, narrow flame beam. The beam destroys enemy fire. Ship movement is slowed while beam is present.
|}

''' ''Spitfire's'' options can be used have both good screen coverage and high concentrated damage depending on the situation. It being fast helps with lining up the options quickly. Its charge shot is really valuable in stage portions as well, and to top it all of, it sports a bomb that has invul very quickly into the animation. Its main weaknesses are serviceable but not remarkable damage output, and having to previously set up your options to be as effective, which can't be always be done. Also, against some small bosses that zip around the screen (Stage 7 midboss, Stage 6 and 8 Boss' last pattern, to name a few), Spitfire will easily deal the least amount of damage of any ship due to how the options function.'''
----

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:120%; border:1px solid #222222; background-color:#f8f8ff; width: 40%; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"
|-
! colspan=2 style="background-color:#E7BD39; color:#ffffff;" | <big>Messerschmitt Bf-109</big>
! style="background-color:#a9a9a9; color:#ffffff;" | Power
! style="background-color:#a9a9a9; color:#ffffff;" | Charge
! style="background-color:#a9a9a9; color:#ffffff;" | Bomb
! style="background-color:#a9a9a9; color:#ffffff;" | Movement
|-
{{!}} colspan="2" rowspan="2" | [[File:S1945_Ship_Bf109.png]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Average
| style="text-align:center;" | Average
| style="text-align:center;" | Explosive
| style="text-align:center;" | [83F] Average
|-
|colspan="13" style="font-size:85%;" |
'''Main Shot:''' Fires a straight shot with a high shot limit. Options lock on automatically and target enemies.

'''Super-Shot:''' Options group up and fire a concentrated volley of shots while crawling up the screen.

'''Bomb:''' Performs an invincible somersault as support aircraft performs a bombing run. Ship cannot move while bombing.
|}

''' ''Messerschmitt (Bf-109)'' is a very versatile ship in how it approaches enemy formations. It can either choose to have its options be rapid-firing homing bullets, or a stationary turret with a high concentrated barrage in front of them. It is truly the jack of all trades, with average stats across the board, and with ways to comfortably with the different stage layouts. It doesn't have as big of a weakness as the other ships, more so it doesn't push its strengths as much as the rest, which is to expected for a Balance type.'''

----

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:120%; border:1px solid #222222; background-color:#f8f8ff; width: 40%; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"
|-
! colspan=2 style="background-color:#42735A; color:#ffffff;" | <big>Zero Fighter</big>
! style="background-color:#a9a9a9; color:#ffffff;" | Power
! style="background-color:#a9a9a9; color:#ffffff;" | Charge
! style="background-color:#a9a9a9; color:#ffffff;" | Bomb
! style="background-color:#a9a9a9; color:#ffffff;" | Movement
|-
{{!}} colspan="2" rowspan="2" | [[File:S1945_Ship_Zero.png]]
| style="text-align:center;" | High
| style="text-align:center;" | Very Fast
| style="text-align:center;" | Explosive
| style="text-align:center;" | [92F] Slowest
|-
|colspan="13" style="font-size:85%;" |
'''Main Shot:''' Fires a wide shot with a low shot limit. Options fires bombs/mines that explode on contact with enemies, or shortly after being fired.

'''Super-Shot:''' Options lock on to nearby enemies and fire concentrated shots up close.

'''Bomb:''' Summons a massive lightning storm that instantly destroys enemy fire and deals constant damage.
|}

''' ''Zero Fighter'' is a ship that rewards players that already have knowledge of the game due to the way its options operate. It has amongst the highest shotgun damage, but also the shortest range of all ships, although its Super-Shot is amongst the best in the game to compensate, charging up really quickly and instantly locking into any available enemies, which it really necessitates in stages due to its poor spread and effective range. Just like with Lightning, its main weaknesses are slow speed and taking a severe drop in damage if its too far from enemies, although this can be circumvented with its Super-Shot to a degree.'''

----

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:120%; border:1px solid #222222; background-color:#f8f8ff; width: 40%; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"
|-
! colspan=2 style="background-color:#316342; color:#ffffff;" | <big>J7W SHINDEN </big>
! style="background-color:#a9a9a9; color:#ffffff;" | Power
! style="background-color:#a9a9a9; color:#ffffff;" | Charge
! style="background-color:#a9a9a9; color:#ffffff;" | Bomb
! style="background-color:#a9a9a9; color:#ffffff;" | Movement
|-
{{!}} colspan="2" rowspan="2" | [[File:S1945_Ship_Shinden.png]]
| style="text-align:center;" | High
| style="text-align:center;" | Slow
| style="text-align:center;" | Action
| style="text-align:center;" | [70F] Fastest
|-
|colspan="13" style="font-size:85%;" |
'''Main Shot:''' Fires a narrow shot with a high shot limit. Options fires straight-shot missiles that deal high damage. Options stay directly behind ship.

'''Super-Shot:''' Options line up in the front of the ship and then crawl upwards, shooting concentrated shots to the sides.

'''Bomb:''' Performs an invincible somersault and fires a fast blast of energy shaped like the ship. High damage, but narrow and short. Cannot move while bombing.
|}

''' ''Shinden'' fulfills the "low spread, powerful speedster" role found in many shmups. It has really good concentrated damage, the fastest speed in the game, and an invincible bomb, making it one of the best ships for boss killing, or any enemy with high HP in general. It has poor spread in both the main and sub shots, and while its Super-Shot can be useful depending on the Stage (Stage 6 being one of the main ones), it is quite a weak one when compared to the rest of the roster.'''

=== Items ===
----
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Item || Description
|-
| [[File:S1945_Item_PowerUp_2x.gif|center]] <div style='text-align: center;'>'''Power-Up'''</div>
|| Power-up item. Dropped by red planes and specific stage objects. Collecting one increases the power of the ship's main weapon by 1, and adds one option. A maximum of 4 can be acquired at once, with excess P icons worth 4000pts.
|-
| [[File:S1945_Item_Bomb_2x.gif|center]] <div style='text-align: center;'>'''Bomb Item'''</div>
|| Bomb item. Adds a bomb to the stock. Six bombs can be held at once, with every following bomb pickup being worth 10,000pts.
|-
| [[File:S1945_Item_Gold_2x.gif|center]] <div style='text-align: center;'>'''Gold Bar'''</div>
|| Primary score item. Dropped by grounded enemies and objects. Worth 200, 500, 1,000 or 2,000pts. See [[Strikers 1945#Scoring]].
|-
|}

=== Rank ===
----
Rank increases or decreases based on the ship's current power level. It mostly influences the speed of bullets fired by enemies. Rank is adjusted immediately upon the power level of the player ship changing. 
Additionally, the first four stages have different difficulty depending on the order of stages, with the "hard" version of each stage being 1-3 and 1-4.

Rank is lowered by death (causing your player ship to drop back down to level 1), or by colliding with an airborne enemy, which lowers the player's current power level by 1.

=== Loops ===
----
''Strikers 1945'' features a second loop with denser and faster bullet patterns. Additionally, enemies that are destroyed will release clusters of revenge bullets. 
There are no conditions to enter the second loop, and like the first loop, the second loop's first four stages are in a random order. Unlike the first loop, the game's rank is already at max, so the four stages do not vary in difficulty.

=== Scoring ===
----
The primary scoring trick in ''Strikers'' games involves collecting '''Gold Bars'''[[File:S1945_Item_Gold_2x.gif]] that are left behind by some ground enemies and destructible objects. 
Gold is worth '''200''', '''500''', '''1,000''' or '''2,000pts''' depending on what frame of animation it is on. In ''Strikers 1945'', one animation frame lasts for 7 frames each. 
For ideal score play, the player wants to collect the gold bars on the frame that they flash '''white''', as this will always reward the player with 2000pts.

Aside from that, scoring revolves primarily around maximizing enemy destruction and item collection. Excess bombs and power-ups reward bonus points, but can be risky to hold onto due to the ferocity of enemy attacks and bullet speeds later on in the game.

== Strategy ==
<div style='text-align: center;'>
''See [[Strikers 1945/Strategy]] for '''enemy and boss descriptions''', '''walkthroughs''', and '''advanced play strategies'''.'' 
''See [[Strikers 1945/Stages]] for a detailed information on the stages in Strikers 1945.'' 
''See [[Strikers 1945/Bosses]] for a detailed discussion on the boss fights in Strikers 1945.''
</div>
----

=== The Gunbird Train ===

[[File:Train1.jpg|200px|left|thumb|'''1.''' Don't destroy the tanks marked with red dots.]] [[File:Train2.jpg|200px|right|thumb|'''2.''' Hover over one of these trees, depending on the stage number you are on.]]
In the Germany stage, it is possible to make a train appear that was previously seen in one of the random stages of ''[[Gunbird]]''. It's very lucrative for scoring, as each of its three parts is worth 8,000 pts. Moreover, since the train parts hold two power up items each, it can also be useful to boost your power level to max early on. If the items are picked up when already at max power, this makes an additional 24,000 pts.

In order to trigger the train, the player has to avoid destroying a couple of tanks and trucks during the opening part of the stage. These vehicles are not firing at the player and are marked with red dots in the image on the left. Notice that you can still carefully take out the two tanks that are firing at you, as the upper one also holds a gold bar.

In the next step, the player has to hover over a specific tree when the stage music makes a jingle noise. Depending on whether the Germany stage is played as stage 1, 2, 3 or 4 the player has to hover over a different tree. The trees are marked accordingly on the image to the right.

While being exceedingly more difficult, it's likewise possible to trigger the train in the second loop under the same conditions.

{{clear}}

== Story ==
At the end of World War II, world peace seemingly returned to mankind, until an organization known as C.A.N.Y. rose to take over the world with a new breed of superweapons of mass destruction. A team of ace pilots known as the "STRIKERS" were formed in order to destroy this new foe and stop their plan for world conquest.

=====Ending=====
Later on, it is revealed that the organization was created by aliens who specialize in brainwashing human brains, intending to invade planet Earth. The leader of the organization, also called CANY, is destroyed by the Strikers, alongside the alien base.

----

== Development History ==
TBD
----

== Version Differences ==
'''World Version (vs. Japan Version)'''
* The easter egg revealing the identities of the Strikers pilots does not occur.
* The Japanese text on the high score table does not appear.
----

== Trivia ==
* In The I/O Test Menu In Service Mode, There Appears To Be Remanents For A Possible 4 Player Mode, As Evidenced By The 3P And 4P Controls Being "Disconnected". It's Unknown If It Was Confirmed Or Simply A Leftover From Another Psikyo Game.
* The P-38 Appears To Make A Cameo Alongside Other Ships In The Series In Space Bomber That Can Be Captured For 100,000 Points By Shooting Certain Backgronds At Specific Times.
----

== Gallery ==
<div style='text-align: center;'>
''See [[Strikers 1945/Gallery]] for our collection of images and scans for the game.''
</div>
----

== References & Contributors ==

# Page text, info, and formatting by [[User:CHA-STG|CHA-STG]]
# Additional info provided by [[User:Plasmo|Plasmo]]
# Special thanks to '''STG Rev. 2020 Discord''' for fact-checking.


[[Category:Psikyo]]
[[Category:Vertical orientation]]
[[Category:Medal mechanic]]

DoDonPachi DaiFukkatsu Black Label

2024-04-07T03:15:52Z

John Vida: /* Trivia */

{{GameInfobox
|bordercolor = black
|title = DoDonPachi DaiFukkatsu Black Label
|background = #f8f8f8
|image = DFK BL.png
|width = 324px;
|imagecaption = Title screen
|imagescalepx = 180px

|developer = [[CAVE]]
|
|music = Manabu Namiki, Yoshimi Kudo, Noriyuki Kamikura, Azusa Chiba
|
|program = Tsuneki Ikeda, Shinobu Yagawa
|
|releasedate = Jan 20, 2010
}}

DoDonPachi DaiFukkatsu Black Label (DDP DFK BL) is a revamped version of the original [[DoDonPachi DaiFukkatsu]], with new mechanics and a brand new soundtrack.
This version is programmed by Shinobu Yagawa.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}

== Gameplay Overview ==
'''DoDonPachi DaiFukkatsu Black Label''' features much of the same structure of DaiFukkatsu, but with a few crucial differences, notably, the game only has one loop, and now features a player-controller rank system (known as Red Mode).

=== Controls ===
----
* '''A (Press):''' Normal shot
* '''A (Hold):''' Laser
* '''B:''' Releases a Bomb (Bomb/Strong Styles) or switches between Normal and Boost shots (Power Style)
* '''C:''' Auto-fires the standard A shot
* '''D:''' Activates ''Hyper Counter'', which drastically increases the ship's firepower, cancel bullets with the normal shot, and deflect large enemy lasers with the laser shot

There are 2 selectable control types; Type B swaps the auto-fire and hyper activate buttons from Type A's layout listed above.
Auto-Bomb can be enabled when selecting a style as well. Auto-Bomb will not allow you to stock Hypers, and thus is not recommended; the rest of this page will assume it is turned off. With Auto-Bomb off, your Bomb and Hyper stocks are shared, and is depleted by one each time either is used.
New to Black Label is the ability to fire the normal shot and laser at the same time, at the cost of movement speed. (see Rank section)

=== Characters / Ships / Styles ===
----
Black Label features the same 3 selectable ships and styles from the original [[DoDonPachi DaiFukkatsu]]. Unlike the original, Strong Style is selectable from the start.

'''Ships'''
* '''Type-A:''' Strong focused shot straight forward, fastest movement speed
* '''Type-B:''' Slightly spread out shot which rotates towards your horizontal movement (up to 45 degrees), average movement speed
* '''Type-C:''' Wide spread out shot, slowest movement speed

'''Styles'''
* '''Bomb:''' 3 shots, moderate shot and laser power. A stock of 3 bombs (increases by 1 when a bomb item item is picked and the current bomb stock is full) which can be used at will or as auto-bombs when hit.
* '''Power:''' No bomb stock (one bomb item can be picked up and used only as an auto-bomb) but has two different attack modes, Normal and Boost. Normal mode has 2 shots, low shot and laser power and increased movement speed. Boost mode has 4 shots, high shot power, moderate laser power and lowered movement speed. The hyper counter also functions differently to other styles, see the next section for more information.
* '''Strong:''' 6 shots, moderate shot power and high laser power. Works same as the Bomb style in most other ways.

Strong Style will start the game with second loop patterns (including suicide bullets).

=== Items ===
----
The staple Bee item appears in Black Label. It will flash slowly between green and yellow states. Collecting it while it is yellow will cancel all on-screen bullets into score stars. Collecting it while it is green will fill the Hyper gauge slightly without cancelling bullets. Collecting it while it flashes between the two will give both effects, and the score stars dropped will be large instead of small.

There is a hidden extend at the large generator tower in stage 3 after the midboss. The extend will drop unless it is destroyed by a bomb.

=== Rank and Hyper Counter ===
----
Black Label features a player-controllable rank (known as Red Mode), shown by the meter at the top-right of the screen. For Bomb and Power Style, there are 4 distinct thresholds of the bar that correspond to various ranks:
* Level 1: 0%-33%
* Level 2: 34%-66%
* Level 3: 67%-99%
* Level 4: 100%

For Strong Style, there are 5 distinct thresholds of the bar that correspond to various ranks:
* Level 1: 0%-24%
* Level 2: 25%-49%
* Level 3: 50%-74%
* Level 4: 75%-99%
* Level 5: 100%

The Red Mode gauge is increased by shooting the auto-fire shot and laser at the same time. This gauge will rise at double the rate with a Strong ship or a Power ship in Boost mode. The gauge will gradually decrease otherwise (although it can be slowed by using the laser).

The Hyper Counter gauge is located right above the ship stock on the top-left of the screen. When this fills entirely, you will gain one Hyper Counter stock. Your current stock is indicated either by the number of B/H icons at the bottom of the screen (in Bomb/Strong Styles) or a small ''xN'' to the right of the shot style selection (in Power Style).
Activating a Hyper Counter will drastically power up both the normal shot and laser. The laser can now deflect the large enemy lasers. The normal shot will cancel bullets it hits into score stars. You will gain brief invulnerability while entering and exiting a Hyper, with a timer being displayed around your ship for its duration.
The length of activated Hypers and the associated invincibility are generally shorter than in [[DoDonPachi DaiFukkatsu]], with 1 second of invincibility upon activation (which diminishes to half a second at maximum hyper rank) and 2 seconds of invincibility when exiting a Hyper.

When a Hyper ends, the Red Mode gauge will be drained by 50%, ''unless'' it occurs during a boss' '''WARNING!''' screen. Hypers can be manually canceled by tapping the Hyper button again.

Firing a bomb will cause the Red Mode gauge to briefly max out if it is not already.

=== Chaining and Scoring ===
----
The current chain value is shown by the amount of ''HIT!''s under the Hyper Counter, and the chain meter is shown to the left of the Hyper gauge.
You don't gain any ''HIT!''s by cancelling enemy bullets with a Hyper; they are only gained by shooting enemies or cancelling bullets by other means, either by bee items or enemies who cancel their own bullets on death. Many enemies in Black Label will cancel their own bullets if killed by autofire+laser.
There are 3 ways to break a chain:
* Using a bomb
* Dying while a Hyper is active
* Letting the chain meter empty while a Hyper is active
Unlike [[DoDonPachi DaiFukkatsu]], dying will not completely deplete the chain value, but it will decrease very quickly until you respawn.
If Autobomb is on, using a Hyper during an autobomb will ''not'' deplete your chain value.

The multiplier system appears to work the same as in [[DoDonPachi DaiFukkatsu]], however, it only takes effect when the Red Mode gauge is flashing red. Based on your current ''HIT!'' count, you will gain a specific multiplier:
* 0 - 499 ''HIT!''s: 1x
* 500 - 999 ''HIT!''s: 2x
* 1000 - 2999 ''HIT!''s: 3x
* 3000 - 4999 ''HIT!''s: 4x
* 5000 - 6999 ''HIT!''s: 5x
* 7000 - 9999 ''HIT!''s: 6x
* 10000 or more ''HIT!''s: 7x
This multiplier is applied to the amount of ''HIT!''s gained from killing an enemy and to the score gained from killing an enemy.

Unlike in [[DoDonPachi DaiFukkatsu]], midboss and boss bullets will not drop stars when cancelled. However, shooting bosses with autofire+laser when at high rank will give a large amount of points, especially while at max rank. Destroying bosses with autofire+laser at max rank will also cause them to drop larger stars which are worth even more score; firing a bomb can help if the Red Mode gauge isn't maxed out, since this will max out the gauge and the ''HIT!'' gauge will not empty until the bomb has finished its animation.
Milking bosses by shooting invincible parts with autofire+laser can give a large amount of points (e.x. blocking your own laser with an enemy laser, the mini robots on the third boss, or the red balls/satellites on the fourth boss), but beware: bosses will fire vicious patterns if milked.

== Routes ==
----
Entering the Ura route (which features the original DoDonPachi bosses as midbosses and takes slightly different stage routes) has extra requirements in Bomb and Strong Styles:
* No miss
* destroy 3 silos before they get run over by the tanks
** for bomb style, silos must be destroyed while the hit combo multiplier is active (high RED gauge or hyper counter is active)
* have a full hyper gauge and maximum bomb stock when the third silo is destroyed

Power Style will always enter the Ura route in stage 1.

To fight against the various the EX Boss (Taisabachi) and the 2 True Last Bosses (Hibachi and Zatsuza):
* Taisabachi (or 'Supreme Weapon of Extreme Hellish Annihilation – Golden Disaster'): Do not use more than 2 bombs in the first 5 stages OR kill at least 2 bosses with a full Red Mode gauge.
* Hibachi (or 'Supreme Killing Weapon – Hibachi'): Do not die more than once in the first 5 stages, do not use more than 2 bombs in the first 5 stages, and kill all bosses with a full Red Mode gauge.
* Zatsuza: Must use Strong style, never lose a life in the 5 regular stages, get a No-Miss win against Taisabachi, do not deploy more than 2 bombs in the 5 regular stages and finish off the 5 main bosses with the Red gauge full.

== Strategy ==
<div style='text-align: center;'>
''See [[(Template Page)/Strategy]] for '''stage maps''', '''enemy and boss descriptions''', '''walkthroughs''', and '''advanced play strategies'''.''
</div>
----

This section details some particular strategic information about the game and its gameplay, such as hidden 1UPs and some basic scoring tricks. For anything particularly deep or highly complex, you can probably leave it in the Strategy page.

''(Currently evaluating whether or not this specific section should even include information outside of the separated Strategy pages. Worth thinking about as a community.)''

== Story ==
Basic story breakdowns, plot information, and endings are included here.

If there is no story at all, or any information about the setting, then this section can be omitted. Try to include at least small things here when you can.
----

== Development History ==
If available, you can include information here about the hardware, the development of the game, and its general reception. ''Try to have as much information in this section cited as possible.''
----

== Version Differences ==
* Include information here about differences in a game between various versions. This includes regional differences, patch updates/bugfixes, and the like.
----

== Trivia ==
* Only A Few People Have Achieved 1 Trillion Points To This Day.
* While It Is Possible To Nomiss Zatsuza, It May Need Extreme Skills To Pull It Off.
----

== Gallery ==
<div style='text-align: center;'>
''See [[(Template Page)/Gallery]] for our collection of images and scans for the game.''
</div>
----

== References & Contributors ==

# Remember to include everyone that you can in your credits if they contributed information! | Having links handy is even better, when available.
# If you are a primary source of information for a game, be sure to link to your Shmup Wiki user account by including a link to your profile, such as: <nowiki>[[User:(You)|(Your Name)]]</nowiki>
## And while you're at it, make yourself a little profile page (if you want, of course)! As a contributor, you deserve to be recognized for your efforts.

* This template page was assembled by [[User:CHA-STG|CHA-STG]] and [[User:Plasmo|Plasmo]].