Hitting The Wall

[Moodmon]

Just recently bought Frequency. Completed normal. Did advanced stage 1 and 2. Got to stage 3. [Twang] Cannot get any further.

Now I'm not saying that I can't get any further at the moment. I mean I find it impossible to co-ordinate my brain and fingers with the markers on the screen. I'm not getting a little further each time. I'm just stuck, well and truely.

Should games be allowed to do this to you? Frequency taunts me with locked songs. Yet I feel fine having not unlocked the sound test in Ikaruga, or not having seen X-C in Psyvariar.

Has anyone else experienced this? It's not that I don't want to, but I fail quickly on every song in that level.

[Che Musashi]

The best thing to do when you hit a wall in any game, is to take a break and play something else.

That's what I do, becuase further frustration keeps you stuck. Just take a day or two off and go back refreshed and you'll kick ass.

[Moodmon]

I've already tried that. I mean I can't got any further, no matter how hard I try. I've reached my limit.

God knows that method has tried and worked with games ranging from Ikaruga to Gitaroo Man, but not here.

[Commander Marklar]

you're thinking to hard about it - take a break or let your mind loose. turn up the music, feel what is happening. don't think, feel... oops you can do it, just practice.

edit: but yea, game should do it - there is always someone out there who can overcome these obstacles.

[Gradius]

I remember hitting the wall a few years ago on Jet Force Gemini. Got to the last boss and just could not get close to killing it. Never went back again. Great game tho.

[Crispin]

On my GameGear I used to hit the wall all the time. I'd play Sonic for ages, be at the top of my game, then something would click. My timing would go to hell. The more I played the worse it got. When you hit that sort of wall you just have to stop as your brain is just too tired.

But Ikaruga is another sort of wall altogether. Delicious, especially when you finally break through. And you experience some kind of euphoria. You begin to believe in your abilities. For five minutes you believe that truly you are the one. Then you get your ass handed to you and the process starts all over again.

The best music to play this to is the Pokemon Dance tune (9th track IIRC on the first Pokemon TV album) and The Touch from Transformers the Movie OST.

In fact the second one works on anything. Getting your ass kicked on Live? Stick Transformers on your stereo (or better yet, your Xbox if possible) and play. Play like you've never played before. Play like..

Optimus!

Heck, it's the only reason that Ikaruga is so good. It's just so hard. All the tools required for mastery are presented from the word go, the only limitation is you and how fast you can think.

[Gradius]

I think i am losing my gaming reflexes with age and minor drug abuse. I dont think i will ever be as good as i was 10 years ago. I dont have the time to play games as much as i used to, and when i do have time i never seem to play games for long periods anymore. RPG's are a complete no no nowadays.

[Crispin]

I think i am losing my gaming reflexes with age and minor drug abuse. I dont think i will ever be as good as i was 10 years ago. I dont have the time to play games as much as i used to, and when i do have time i never seem to play games for long periods anymore. RPG's are a complete no no nowadays.

Well, thank God for DOAXBV, then eh?

As much as I love Wario Ware (I think it shows people gaming's roots in a modern context - and Nintendo uses it to plug their own hardware!), I won't be playing it in 20 years simply because I won't be up to it. I'll probably be playing more tactical affairs, slow affairs such as Halo 10 and Full Spectrum Warrior 6: Missing Violet in action

And Rainbow 6-9. (Sorry, couldn't resist, they are going to hit that number one day!)

[tssk]

I remember hitting the wall a few years ago on Jet Force Gemini. Got to the last boss and just could not get close to killing it. Never went back again. Great game tho.

Ditto. Loved it until that point. On an unrelated point, is there any reason why Starfox Adventures feels like Jet Force Gemini meets Dinotopia? (Visually at least.)

[charlesr]

Bizarre. Same story for me on JFG. There's always gamefaqs? If you know you will never get past it.

[Vaipon]

I've had many a moment in a game where I am certain I've hit "the wall". Getting 100% everything on Rez to get the pink ending, Finishing Devil May Cry's "Dante Must Die" skill, Attaining S++ on Ikaruga's level3, etc etc... Every time, it's just been a matter of being bloody persistent, and continuing regardless of the frustration or difficulty. I dread to think what would happen if a game was genuinely too tough, and I really did hit the wall. I'd just play it forever probably, as I wouldn't accept that it had beaten me. I don't think I've ever hit a wall on a game that I loved though, one that I've really enjoyed playing. If you like the game enough, you'll try that little bit harder and push yourself further than you thought possible.

[rjpageuk]

Attaining S++ on Ikaruga's level3,

You managed an S++ on ch3?

What is your best overall score then?

[Vaipon]

I can't put a full run together yet with a top-flight stage3 performance on the end, I've only managed a few times on practice to get the S++ on that level. It's a case of knowing the technique perfectly, but not being able to execute reliably. I still **** up the fast bit quite often.

Stage 4 pwnz me still, and I can't motivate myself to learn it at the moment. One day I'll 1 credit it though.

[rjpageuk]

I can't put a full run together yet with a top-flight stage3 performance on the end, I've only managed a few times on practice to get the S++ on that level. It's a case of knowing the technique perfectly, but not being able to execute reliably. I still **** up the fast bit quite often.

Stage 4 pwnz me still, and I can't motivate myself to learn it at the moment. One day I'll 1 credit it though.

Well getting an S++ on ch3 is officially exactly 500 times harder than S++ on ch4.

In fact I have never achieved an S++ on ch3 in my life.

You should head over to the score rankings at gamefaqs here and register your scores there:

http://cgi.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.asp?board=34161&topic=9923926

We are a friendly bunch there and the competition might spur you on.

[Vaipon]

Next time I go through a proper Ikaruga phase, I'll see what I can come up with and post my best. My best chain score on chapter 3 was 172 if I remember correctly. I haven't breached 20 million yet though because I only know the first 3 levels well enough at the moment. My playing consistency is all over the place. I can manage a good run but I have to "warm up" first, I can't just sit down cold and play at an exact standard like some of the experts can. I just keep chipping away at Ikaruga though, I could never stay on it long enough to completely beat it, too many other gaming distractions.