Battle Garegga | Super Easy 1CC | Xbox One
The time finally came to take on a beast of the genre: Battle Garegga, made by Raizing. There are few games as revered and as scary to jump into. But there are modes on the Shmup Beginners List, so clearly there are more approachable modes.
I started by playing Premium, which is a new arrange that is seemingly easier than the Arcade version, but I don't know much of the differences. After four attempts, I got to Stage 6 and was having a great time. The music is absolutely incredible. I changed the bullet colors in the settings, so thank goodness for that because the default bullets brown/tan and blend into the background.
I was overwhelmed by everything going on in the M2 Gadgets: items, small ammo, bombs, rank, item levels. In hindsight, I think turning off the gadgets when starting out is the way to go so as to not focus on them. The main thing I came to learn with help from the Shmup Junkies Discord server is that the small bomb fragments build up into a big bomb.
It's clear there was so much care put into the 2016 edition of Battle Garegga, with all of the options, sound mode, gallery. It's quite impressive. I do wish M2 would do a better job of explaining the various modes though, it's super unclear when you're just starting out.
After the four attempts on Premium, I gave the Super Easy mode a try with the Golden Bat ship, as it's the most recommended for new players. It's on the Brand New to Shmups section of the Beginners List. I cleared it on my first try with 5 extra lives to spare. It felt like a "free" clear. It was too easy. It's the first game on the list that didn't feel at all sweaty, like if I screw up I'll won't get the clear. This is, honestly, disappointing given how much I love the game already. It was cool to see all the stages and bosses, but not rewarding in the way beating a shmup often has been for me so far on my journey.
But the Super Easy clear being too easy hasn't dampened my excitement for Garegga! I'm going to keep on at Premium and go for the 1CC there.