I just 1CCed Mushihimesama Futari Black Label (original mode). Oh my god, my body was shaking. No bombs or lives left at the end. When I beat it my eyes watered up. I hear it's on the easy side of 1CCs, but a year ago I never would have thought this possible of me.

Wow, congrats. It's quite an accomplishment - though I've never played that particular game.

I always had a hard time near the end of runs ... I'd get all overanxious and usually screw up on what I'd normally consider an easy part =/

Did you all of a sudden realize you weren't breathing as often as you likely should have either? That happens to me from time to time as well. Nerve wracking stuff >_<

Yes, for the longest time I'd say I was 'capable' of 1ccing the game. My barrier was that I needed to be in the right state of mind to not mess up (since in shmups you are constantly on the brink of death). I didn't get nervous until the final boss though. Making it to the final stage isn't that difficult, but the difficulty curve for the final boss, like in many shmups, is steep. So it was easier for me to try and get to the boss with two extra lives than to learn to beat its god-awful attack patterns. In other words, I bombed the shit out of her. I read on the shmup forums that even some high scorers do this.

Yeah, it's always exciting the first time you clear a shooter.

I remember the first time I almost cleared 2 loops of Ketsui. I was so close to taking out the final boss on my last life, no bombs. Just a tick to go and then BOOM. I was so nervous I honestly thought he was the one blowing up when in fact I got hit. It was a very confusing moment. I didn't get pissed or anything, I just kind of sat there looking at the screen like what the hell just happened? I even made a picture to remember that moment forever (it's the health bar for the boss).



Funny thing is, I gave it another go about an hour later and cleared both loops for the first time like it was nothing.

Way to crap all over my (piddling by comparison) achievement, Mr. 'Hot Shit' Monkey Man.

Nah, that's a good story.

...On to ESPGaluda 2. Damnit, this is hard. What mode should I try to beat?

Nice job, Mad Mage :) I remember the week after I got the game I decided to play 1.5 Original for a couple days. Suffice to say, Larsa was the biggest rush I can remember. I had hardly played the game; practiced the last stage and the boss maybe twice, and I was already there.
I didn't even get that kind of rush from clearing the first loop of Dodonpachi, though that might have had something to do with the glass of whiskey I'd enjoyed prior to the run...In fact, it most probably did. I tried one run and got to 1-6 for the first time. The next run I recorded and ended up bombing the shit out of the boss's last pattern for a "proud" 1-ALL with B-S ^_~

As for Espgaluda 2, it's hard. I've been meaning to put time into Arcade and clear it, then try pushing for better scores, but I'm still somehow too busy for it. How 'bout we Race to the Finish ^_~

true upgrade: That's probably the best screenshot I've ever seen. If I ever stick Ibara back onto the JAMMA harness, I'll be sure to take a similar photograph. I'm bound to do something idiotic to similar health-bar-effect.

i think my only 1CC is Metal Slug X

because i suck at videogames

I've never been able to 1cc Metal Slug X and I've been trying for years. I can get to stage 5 without much problem, but the trains are a huge pain. Even if I lucked out and beat stage 5, the final stage always takes tons of lives from me.