Well, so much for the freeform anthems set - practicing recently I got on a roll with some NRG, none of which I'd played before. Looks like that'll be the direction for now, though it's touch and go whether it'll be this month or not.

#TYFTH

@RebalLance That's probably my favourite part too - and a great comparison, I hadn't thought about 721.

After using the remix in the last set, it's time for the TYFTH original: https://youtu.be/_GK10ThGDnM?si=dF83CiQ1v6OtbXGZ

#TYFTH
#freeformhardcore
#hardnrg
#FINRG
#goatrance
#psytrance

@Sherkel An absolute classic, haven't hear this for too long. Some great sounds in amongst the usual SNES samples!

@Sherkel Wow, that's a bit uncanny...

@Sherkel Got it in one! Or maybe something like this? https://youtu.be/qXNMjhb9q4E?si=ZP09uB9HaLm8YuZB

'I like it, it's really dark' - recent feedback on the opening couple of minutes of the current tune. It's still too bare-bones to share any WIPs more widely, but that sounds like mission accomplished so far, at least.

#TYFTH

It was worth checking out Lemureal Nova for the visuals and some incredible, very Cave-inspired bullet patterns. The huge hitbox and fiddly weapons don't do it any favours though. Maybe Lemureal Nova Revival changes enough to improve it?

Anyway, it reminded me about this - a very handy (but sold separately) Deza2 book with a bunch of tutorials and movement/bullet pattern guides.

#shmup
#stg
#segasaturn
#retrogaming

It turns out that Grand Cross is even better than expected - I got the 1cc the other day but it'll definitely be in the shmup rotation for a while yet.

The ending previews 'final episode' Lemureal Nova, which I'd completely forgotten about and will be trying asap.

#shmup
#stg
#segasaturn

@Sherkel Now there's a thought...it'll go on the lengthy 'possibly to-try' list!

This week's track would easily cruise into my all-time freeform top 10. I've been feeling like a set of anthems could be a nice change for the next stream - maybe I'll even start with this one?

https://youtu.be/ZAoiUp44mD0?si=TWa0EVCCwqeGu2-J

#TYFTH
#freeformhardcore
#hardnrg
#FINRG

Back from my trip - in the meantime the kind folk on YT have helped to complete the Alabaster set tracklist! It's all updated now, and I've added timestamps to help everyone (including me) to learn the tracks.

I'll try to get on the case with timestamps for other sets too, starting with the TYFTH Lives.

#TYFTH
#freeformhardcore
#hardnrg
#FINRG

I'm away again from tomorrow, so the next TYFTH Live will have to be postponed a bit. Early April is what I'll be aiming for instead.

In the meantime an Alabaster set from the archives has just gone up on YT - in his typical CODEX style from those days it's pretty cheerful to start with twistier freeform towards the end. No tracklist at the moment but the copyright claims should help with a few:

https://youtu.be/ofiIJiH7DNM

#TYFTH
#freeformhardcore
#hardnrg
#FINRG

@Sherkel Well if FINRG's still on fb I was thinking that could be an option, otherwise I'm mostly limited to the FINRG discord and throwing a link or two on twitter. Happily the sets somehow still seem to be reaching new people recently!

Unlikely to be a Live this weekend, but it's looking doable to sneak one in before the end of the month. It'll be freeform again, if all goes to plan.

#TYFTH
#freeformhardcore
#hardnrg
#FINRG

If you know anything at all about Deza2 you'll be knocked out by the visuals, and neng does wonders to get some mid-90s Ken Ishii-esque techno out of the extremely limited music editor.

A shame then that (nice references like the loading message and reused sprites aside) the commercial sequel from a couple of years ago seems to have lost most of that dark cyber atmosphere, including neng's music, from what I can tell.

Shmup-wise there hasn’t been much happening since the last trip, but just before Kyoto I dusted off my copy of Dezaemon 2 after finding the save manager files again. It's been a decade or so!

The most exciting thing was the chance to play Grand Cross again, by far my favourite Deza2 game - it has its problems but graphically and sonically it couldn’t be more my kind of shmup.

Going for my own 1cc at the moment but for now here's an example: https://youtu.be/CIRZKIDDWnA?si=jMD-GovcDhnMsFhi

#shmup
#stg
#segasaturn

@Sherkel Sounds like a great idea, it would be super interesting to see what you'd cover.

@Sherkel Haha even as a non-coffee person that sounds intriguing..!

@Sherkel Surely even a dude this cool can't make a return to *those places* worth it...