Document: DDP:SDOJ Guide Game: DoDonPachi: Sai-Dai-Ou-Jou 怒首領蜂 最大往生 Platform: Arcade / Xbox360 Developer: Cave Publisher: Cave Author: Slateman (slateman@godflesh.com) Version: 1.51 Date: 27th June, 2014 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Table Of Contents ----------------- 1: About 2: Game History 2a: DoDonPachi History 2b: DoDonPachi: Sai-Dai-Ou-Jou History 2c: DoDonPachi: Sai-Dai-Ou-Jou Release History 2d: Personal DDP History 3: Elemental Dolls, Ships & Dress System Overview 3a: Elemental Dolls / Ships 3b: Dress System 3c: Autobomb 4: Game Mechanics 4a: GP Meter 4b: Chaining 4c: Hypers 4d: Bombs & Autobomb 4e: Bees 4f: Rank 4g: Scoring Basics 4h: Overflow Bug 5: Game Features 5a: Hibachi 5b: Inbachi 5c: 1-Up 6: Game Modes 6a: Xbox 360 Mode 6b: Arcade HD Mode 6c: 1.5 Mode 6d: Novice Mode 6e: Store 6f: Patch Notes 7: Achievement Guide 8: Credits 9: Legal Stuff -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Revision Notes -------------- 1.0 First document 1.5 Fixed formatting, typos, minor mistakes 1.51 Inbachi description/requirements fixes UTF-8 encoding (fix the issues for GameFAQs, I hope) To Do: Why do bullets turn pink when you hit them with your bullets? What precisely is aura? -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= .=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=. | | | S E C T I O N I | | ------------------ | | | | | | A B O U T | | | | | .=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=. DoDonPachi: SaiDaiOuJou is the fifth entry into Cave's DoDonPachi series, all sequels to 1995's Don Pachi. It is reported to be Cave's final arcade shooter. After many deemed DoDonPachi II and DoDonPachi 4 (Daifukkatsu) as having strayed from the series' trademark roots, Cave returned with Dai-Ou-Jou (DDP3) and now Sai-Dai-Ou-Jou (DDP5). Each were rigorous, difficult and pristinely balanced. DoDonPachi roughly translates to 'Angry Bee Boss' and is also a take on the onomatopoeic sound of gun fire. Listen to Maria's voice if you let the game sit on Novice Mode and you'll hear, "Do do do do do do do do donPachi!" The third iteration of DDP was Dai-Ou-Jou, translated to "Peaceful Death". It was a fitting end to the series, but DDP: Daifukkatsu ("Resurrection") was released six years later. 2012 saw the release of Sai-Dai-Ou-Jou, which is more or less "Maximum Peaceful Death" came out. And that's where the DDP story is supposed to end. As with DOJ, it's a fitting end to (IMO) the best shmup series ever! Oh, and since we're already using acronyms, let's recap: DDP DoDonPachi DOJ Dai-Ou-Jou (DDP3) DFK Daifukkatsu (DDP4) SDOJ This game (DDP5) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= .=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=. | | | S E C T I O N I I | | -------------------- | 2a: DoDonPachi History | | 2b: DoDonPachi: Sai-Dai-Ou-Jou History | | 2c: Personal DoDonPachi History | G A M E | | H I S T O R Y | | | | | .=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 2a: DoDonPachi History =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 1995 DonPachi Arcade, PS1, Saturn 1997 DoDonPachi Arcade, PS1, Saturn 2001 DoDonPachi 2: Bee Storm Arcade (developed by IGS, not Cave) 2002 DoDonPachi: Dai-Ou-Jou Arcade, PS2, IOS aka DoDonPachi: Blissful Death 2008 DoDonPachi: Daifukkatsu Arcade, Xbox360, IOS, Android aka DoDonPachi: Resurrection 2012 DoDonPachi: Sai-Dai-Ou-Jou Arcade, Xbox360 2012 DoDonPachi: Maximum Windows Phone, IOS 2003 DonPuchi Cellular Phone 2003 DoDonPuchi Cellular Phone 2003 DoDonPuchi Zero Cellular Phone 2003 DonPin Cellular Phone (Pinball Game) 2006 Star Soldier vs. DDP:DOJ Cellular Phone 2014 Don Paccin IOS DoDonPuchi and DoDonPuchi Zero were both the same cellular game, released at different times. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 2b: DoDonPachi: Sai-Dai-Ou-Jou History =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- DoDonPachi's fourth iteration, Daifukkatsu, was well received due to its many ports and its general accessibility, but many in the shmup community were against its lowered difficulty and bullet canceling gameplay. Tsuneki Ikeda and Koizumi Daisuke, who fronted SDOJ's development, opted to bring the spirit of DOJ back and what we have is an incredibly challenging return to DDP's roots. Sai-Dai-Ou-Jou came out in the spring of 2012 and was designed to be Cave's last game. The arcade scene in Japan has dwindled and Cave was one of the last developers to support the shmup genre. While many recent Cave games had arcade revisions (usually to version 1.5), SDOJ did not. Cave's final effort on their CV1000 hardware had come. CV1000 was highly prolific, seeing Cave's highly- successful Mushihimesama, ESPGaluda II, DFK and more. While an Xbox360 port was not initially planned, I'm so thankful the folks over at Cave changed their minds (and made it region-free!) The Xbox360 version came out just a year after SDOJ's arcade release and since it is meant to be Cave's swansong, it featured a pair of limited-edition releases. Issued in May of 2013, three versions of SDOJ were released. The standard game came with a full-cover booklet and the standard game. Then, a limited-edition version came with an arrange soundtrack and a hardcover B6-sized artbook. Finally, a Super-Limited-Edition game came out. Pricey and impressive, this contained the game and a double-disc soundtrack (the arrange disc from above and standard SDOJ OST) as well as a two-song CD containing the games theme song by Hoshikuzu Garandou and Aya Hirano. This also included a sticker sheet. Finally, instead of the smaller, B6-sized artbook, you get a full-sized A4 artbook. The super-limited edition was hard to come by and quite expensive, but for Cave fans and DDP fans, it was the ultimate release. If it turns out truly to be Cave's final release, it's a fitting way to go out. The game sold well enough to warrant a budget-title Platinum Edition which came out in 2013. This too was region-free but it had no extras. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 2c: Personal DDP History =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- I was introduced to DonPachi and DoDonPachi back in 2001 by a friend and it became my favorite shooter (shmup) rather quickly. DoDonPachi: Dai-Ou-Jou came out a year later and in 2003 on the Playstation 2. I imported this day one and it remains my favorite shmup ever. The challenge in DOJ is absurd but it is the most rewarding game I've ever played. Chaining level 1 remains one of my proudest achievements in gaming. I played this for five years before its successor, DoDonPachi: Daifukkatsu came out in 2008. Sadly, it was four more years before I could play it. As DFK's gameplay wasn't as rigorous as DOJ, it was a pleasant game to play. As soon as DFK came out though, SDOJ was announced and immediately it was made known there would be no port. As detailed above, I'm so thrilled Cave changed their minds. SDOJ is harder, yes, but it is also true to the spirit of DDP. As a long-time member of the shmup online community (links below), I found it somewhat difficult culling all of the information I wanted from the various sources. Much of the information found here was from these forums and credit will be given wherever that info was taken directly. Otherwise, it was just me tinkering around in all the modes trying to get accurate info. In any event, I LOVE me some DDP and find SDOJ to be a lot of fun, particularly with the different modes and varied scoring. I think the game looks fantastic and is something I can play in front of my kids (unlike most games nowadays!) OK, that's enough. Read on, enjoy...hopefully there's something useful for you in here! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= .=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=. | | | S E C T I O N I I I | | ---------------------- | | | 3a: Elemental Dolls / Ships | | 3b: Dress System | D O L L, S H I P & | 3c: Autobomb | D R E S S | | O V E R V I E W | | | | | .=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=. There are two things to cover here. The first is the difference between each of the Elemental Dolls / Ships. The second is the differences in the Dress System. Each affects the way the game is played and in some cases the difficulty of the game. Also remember that the different modes can also affect the game. First, the ships/dolls. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 3a: Elemental Dolls / Ships =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- After starting a game you will be faced with a familiar choice, your ship. Red, Green & Blue ships are available from the outset (Purple in Xbox360 mode and later available in other modes (see section 6e1)). However, in SDOJ, you will select your ship and its pilot (known as element dolls here) at the same time. To compare: ------------- Ships & Dolls ------------- Ship Type Color Name Element Doll Type --------- ----- ---- ----------------- Type A Red Shuri Element Doll Extra A Type B Green Hikari Element Doll Extra B Type C Blue Maria Element Doll Extra C Type D Purple Saya Element Doll Extra Z-002 Hina Old Element Doll Extra Z-001 Hina is Hibachi, the boss you'll fight after achieving certain requirements. You cannot use her in the game. As for the rest, only Types A, B & C are available at first and they differ in key ways. Speed Shot Width ----- ---------- Type A / Shuri *** * Type B / Hikari ** ** Type C / Maria * *** Type Z / Saya ** (+) ** (-) Choosing your character will rely upon how you value shot width (Shuri's is really very narrow) and speed (I can't use Maria, just too slow!) I'd have to say that Saya is just a tinge faster than Hikari and her shot width is slightly less wide. Thus the +/- up there. These are my estimates. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 3b: Dress System =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= While the first DDP games were all military based, things changed a bit when DFK came out. The arcade scene died in the U.S. many years ago but in Japan things flourished for many more years. Sadly, things have begun to catch up and the scene is not nearly as healthy as it was yesteryear. Therefore, when DFK was being developed, the underused Dolls from DOJ became more prevalent. Military ships don't draw as much as pretty young ladies and what was begun in DFK was only expanded in SDOJ. Now, after choosing between Shuri, Hikari and Maria, you are given a second choice. These break down to Shot, Laser and Expert but they are represented by Fighter, Civilian and Swimsuit 'dresses'. It's a way to draw in gamers, but for the most part they are just frivolous. So, Shot, Laser and Expert. How do these work? Look at the left column to see the dress and compare their features in the columns to the right: Shot Laser Bombs Bombs Dress Strength Strength Difficulty (Start) (Max) ----- -------- -------- ---------- ------- ----- Shot Strong Weak normal (*) 3 6 Laser Weak Strong normal (*) 2 4 Expert Strong Strong hard 1 2 (*) In Xbox360 Mode, Laser's difficulty is higher than Shot. To boil it down: Shot has a stronger shot and the most bombs. Laser's focus is more for laser but has fewer bombs. Expert has a very strong laser & shot but few bombs and the difficulty is much higher. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 3c: Autobomb =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- After selecting a ship you are given the option of which dress you want. In addition, you are offered an Autobomb choice. Autobomb Off means when you get hit, you will die. Autobomb On means when you get hit, you will autobomb thus depleting your entire stock of bombs. Novice players will likely flock to Autobomb and with good reason: SDOJ's difficulty is brutal! However, for those going for points, it does have a downside. We'll go through this in section 4d below. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= .=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=. | | | S E C T I O N I V | 4a: GP Meter | -------------------- | 4b: Chaining | | 4c: Hypers | | 4d: Bombs & Autobomb | G A M E | 4e: Bees | M E C H A N I C S | 4f: Rank | | 4g: Scoring Basics | | 4h: "Overflow" Bug .=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=. I've been playing DDP games for a long time but with each subsequent installment, there's still a lot to learn. Sure, we've got bees and chaining, but those things work differently in SDOJ as they did in DFK and even DOJ. So, here's an overview of all the ever-important game mechanics! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 4a: GP Meter =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- DDP has never been an easy game. Those content with surviving the bullet madness that is DoDonPachi can do so and enjoy the game fully. However, for scoring, it's not enough to simply survive. Enter the GP Meter & Chaining. Introduced way back in '95 with Don Pachi, GP stands for Get Point and is the basis for scoring in DDP. This meter is found in the upper-left hand portion of the screen. Your goal is to keep this meter filled constantly so to keep your bonus high and keep your combo increasing. The way to fill/keep filled the GP Meter is a little different than in the past. However the main idea is the same. Destroying enemies, collecting bees & stars and keeping your laser focused on larger enemies will keep this meter filled and will also increase your GP Bonus (this is listed under the MAX (Combo) in the box in the upper left). This bonus is preceded by a + and is used to calculate scores. In addition, by keeping this meter maxed out, you will generate large stars which are worth more points and which also will help build your hyper meter. One method to keep this meter full is by pointblanking. This is when you attack enemies just as they enter the top of the screen. This allows you to destroy enemies faster and keep your GP Meter full. Of course this is risky. Watch any superplay and you'll see this method employed. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 4b: Chaining =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Now that we've established the GP Meter and its importance, we'll discuss Chaining: the true goal in any DDP. Chaining is stringing together enemy deaths throughout the stages. For each enemy killed or for each enemy a laser is kept upon, the stage combo increases which increases the score. Keep the GP meter filled, keep destroying enemies and focusing your laser and the combo (your chain) increases. Simple, right?! Taking inspiration from DDP2 and later DFK, your chain doesn't simply die if you let your GP meter empty (a la DDP and DOJ). Instead, your chain will drop by 30% and then continue to count down at a rapid pace. You can then re-fill your GP meter and continue your combo. If you've chosen Autobomb when selecting your character, know that Autobombing will kill your chain entirely. For those playing for points, therefore, autobomb is not good news. (it does have some minor benefits, see section 4d) Using bombs, always a no-no in the DDP world, is still frowned upon, but not as destructive to your chain as using an autobomb. Traditionally they would kill your chain entirely but now a regular bomb will drop your chain by 30%. Finally, if you lose your chain during a hyper (more on hypers directly below!) you will lose your entire chain rather than just 30%. So, to sum up: Keep GP Meter filled = Increase chain Do any of the following = Lose Chain What You Did Wrong Chain Penalty GP Bonus Penalty ------------------ ------------- --------------- GP Meter Runs Out -30% -30% GP Meter Runs Out (while in hyper) -100% -100% Using A Bomb -30% -30% Using An Autobomb -100% -100% Dying -30% -30%? Dying (while in hyper) -100% -100% Dying sometimes seems to penalize your GP meter more than 30% sometimes. I can't quite figure out the specific percentage for this. If I'm mistaken, it may be that you have to start your combo *immediately* after dying/respawning. *shrug* -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=- 4c: Hypers =-=-=-=-=-=-=- First introduced in DOJ (well, DDP: Campaign Edition, really), Hypers are a stockable 'super meter' that allows for greater firepower and a greater ability to chain. Each subsequent DDP game tweaks their purpose and function slightly but for the most part, they work the same. To use hyper, you must first fill your hyper meter. Then hit the bomb button to activate hyper mode. You can store up to 10 levels of hyper. First, there are several ways to fill your hyper meter. ------------------ How To Build Hyper ------------------ Keep your chain going (the higher the hit count, the faster it'll grow) Collect bees (higher hit count, higher hyper gauge increase) Collect star icons Pointblank enemies We're back to chaining being so important. Hypers increase your chains rapidly and the higher your hit count the faster your hyper gauge grows. It's a vicious cycle! Though you cannot fill your hyper gauge while using hyper. Bees are listed in 4e below, but as stated above, your chain's current tally will affect how much hyper you get for each bee (in Arcade, 1.5 and Novice modes only). Star icons add hits as well, a differing amount in each mode. You typically want larger star icons because they're worth more, but also because they add to your chain. Finally, pointblanking enemies will produce more large stars and thus, more hyper. All this isn't shocking really, the methods of how to increase your gauge are quite simple. Executing them, well, that's a different story. ---------------- Effects Of Hyper ---------------- Some effects differ between Arcade & 1.5 Mode but the consistent effects are: Brief invincibility When starting a hyper, all bullets change to stars. Higher offensive power (both laser and shot) Rank increases GP Meter longer More large star items (under some circumstances) Laser produces higher GP Bonus (At level 6+) Higher damage (At level 6+) Wider shot & laser (At level 6+) Higher GP Bonus Hypers offer incredible perks with only the Rank increase being a downer (see 4f for more on Rank.) You will get a moment of invincibility and all bullets on screen will change to stars upon starting a hyper. Your power is increased and your GP meter's length increases as well. This will make losing your chain more difficult. Also, Using your laser will increase your chain and you will produce more stars. Now, saving your hyper until level 6 has some specific bonuses. First, your damage is increased by more, your shot and laser are now much wider and your GP bonus will increase faster. You will produce more stars (and on Version 1.5 all of those stars will be large!) Finally, as per the chart below, using six level-1 hypers would raise your rank by 6 whereas using one level-6 hyper only raises it by 3. Some specific details about the numbers: your rank will increase by 1 for every 2 levels of hyper you use. The GP Bonus you'll receive is detailed below as is the duration of each level of hyper (credit to ratikal for that info.) Oh, and dying brings hyper stock level back to 0, however your meter will still be where it was. Every so often you can die and almost immediately receive a level of hyper. Rank Arcade 1.5 Hyper Lvl Increase GP Bonus GP Bonus Duration --------- -------- -------- -------- -------- Level 1 +1 1.1 2.0 9 seconds Level 2 +1 1.2 2.2 10 Level 3 +2 1.3 2.4 12 Level 4 +2 1.4 2.6 14 Level 5 +3 1.5 2.8 16 Level 6 +3 2.2 3.0 18 Level 7 +4 2.4 3.0 18 Level 8 +4 2.6 3.0 18 Level 9 +5 2.8 3.0 18 Level 10 +5 3.0 3.0 18 Xbox360 Mode follows the Arcade HD GP Bonus numbers. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 4d: Bombs & Autobomb =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Bombs are an integral part of DDP for a large percentage of players. The elite can avoid using them entirely, thus opening up second loops or facing Hibachi (or other final bosses, see Section 5). However, for many people bombs are an escape. They save our lives when we're cornered or are crippled by DDP's bullet intimidation. Bombs are important in SDOJ on several levels. First off, bombs will clear the screen of enemy bullets. That's a good thing, particularly if you're in a jam. As usual, that's about the only positive. Oh, bombs also reduce your rank (section 4f has specifics), which is helpful. In the past, a bomb of any sort would break your chain. A standard bomb here will not do this. Instead, you will lose 30% of your chain. Again, for the best of the best, 30% is huge. For many others, it's worth it! ------------------- Bomb Max Multiplier ------------------- When you are at max bombs, you will see MAXIMUM listed in your bomb stock. This is followed by a multiplier (x1, x2 or x3). The way this functions differs between Arcade HD and Ver 1.5 Modes. I'll list the specific scoring in each section below. As each character has a different max bomb quantity (section 3b above), you can reach your maximum sooner by trying different characters. --------- Autobombs --------- Included in DFK were autobombs, much to the dismay of purists. However, here you are given a choice prior to starting your game. Autobombs are released when you are hit and have any bombs in stock. It will clear the stage of bullets and completely kill your chain. In addition, you will lose any and all of the bombs you have in stock. Like bombs, these will drop your rank, but only by 1. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=- 4e: Bees =-=-=-=-=-=- Bees are another iconic part of DDP and they work the same way here. On each stage there are eight hidden bees. You can see them flash a golden color but cannot retrieve them until you have had the tip of your laser hit it to reveal it. It will now be a solid color and you can collect it. Bee collection is an important element of scoring and you should memorize each bee's location for scoring and also if you are interested in reaching Hibachi or Inbachi. You can buy the cheat "Marked Bee" and use this in regular play or practice to memorize. Bees function in slightly different ways. Arcade HD & Novice Mode have different points and bonuses than Ver 1.5 and Xbox360 mode. For specific scoring information, see each section below. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=- 4f: Rank =-=-=-=-=-=- Rank has existed in shmups for years but SDOJ has it located front and center and visibly affects how you play. There is a number in the middle of the screen which details your current rank. Rank traditionally increases based on your level of play. The better you're doing/higher score you're receiving, the higher rank goes. In SDOJ, it's pretty standard. You'll start off at 00 and can max this out at 50. It seems the only way to increase rank is to use Hypers. Since you'll be using this to max out your score & combo, it's a risk vs. reward gamble. A higher rank seems to just increase bullet speed (not their quantity). Decreasing rank is generally a bad thing. You can't do it without making any sacrifices. However, if the bullets are getting to you, it may not be a bad idea to bomb! ---------------------- Rank Reduction Methods ---------------------- You can reduce your rank via the following methods, though the numbers differ for all three modes (Novice follows Arcade HD's numbers). Arcade HD 1.5 Xbox360 --------- --- ------- Death -3 -4 -- Bomb -2 -3 -2 Autobomb -1 -1 -1 Note that since you cannot die in Xbox360 mode (without the game being over) that block in the chart is empty. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4g: Scoring Basics =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= We've covered it all! Here's what you want to do: Kill Everything Laser larger enemies Keep GP meter filled so not to break your chain Don't bomb/autobomb! Pointblank when possible to max GP Meter & build hyper Full GP Meter produces more large stars Collect stars and bees for points and to build hyper Unleashing hyper changes bullets into stars & builds chain faster Combo / Kill / Repeat A dumbed-down view of SDOJ for certain, but that's what we've discussed so far. There are a few other small bits to add. First, No-Miss and No-Bomb is always a good thing. For each stage you No-Miss (where you don't die), you get point bonuses. Those scores differ based on the version you're playing but don't die and get more points. All good! Also, you'll receive an end-of-level bonus (max hits x 20,000 points). This is another incentive to get high chains. ---------------- Hyper Restocking ---------------- The final thing to discuss is a huge one and it's really reserved for the best. This is challenging but can have incredible points-scoring ramifications. There are certain enemies in SDOJ that are called bullet-canceling enemies. Mid-bosses count but so do the dual turrets on level 3 as well as the bullet machines from level 5 that emit pink spirals. Bullet canceling means when you defeat these enemies, all enemy bullets on screen disappear. This is useful for survival but it can be used for another benefit. Remember, killing enemies while using hyper (especially level 6 and over) will produce large stars. Also recall that large stars are one way to build hyper. So, if you can time your hyper to end just as you defeat a bullet-canceling enemy, it will produce a ton of stars which you'll try to collect while you're out of hyper. The timing is precise but it can be done. By employing this method and by collecting all of these stars outside of your hyper, you can restock your hyper (sometimes by 7 or 8 levels at once!) and then re-initiate another hyper. The game was designed for this and the timing can be difficult but it's worth the effort. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4h: "Overflow" Bug =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= A very simple programming error was somehow missed in the development of SDOJ that caused a critical problem. Regarded to as an "Overflow" bug, this occurs when the GP meter reaches 21,474,836 which is the limit of a 32-bit system. It's beyond my comprehension, but moozooh helped detail it over at the Shmups forum (http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=39555&start=1920) So, what precisely happens when your GP meter hits 21 million+? The counter goes all the way up to 999,999,999. To put this into perspective, one superplay video shows that 2/3 of the way through level 5 a player had 12 billion points. After maxing out the GP meter and starting the glitch, he ended the level at 1.2 trillion (American numbers - 1,200 billion). The potency of this glitch renders the rest of the game essentially useless. From 12 billion to 1,200 billion - What's the point of levels 1-4? It made the entire scoring of the game dependent on a player's ability to exploit this glitch. Sadly, the arcade board never got a revision but the game itself was patched. You can change the options in the game under Arcade HD's options menu. Change the "Score Fixed" option to ON and this will fix the Overflow bug. Now, this glitch makes leaderboards easy to read though. They will be broken up into Overflow Scores vs Non-Overflow based simply on the enormity of the glitched scores. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= .=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=. | | | S E C T I O N V | | ------------------ | | | 5a: Hibachi (陽蜂) Requirements | | 5b: Inbachi (陰蜂) Requirements | G A M E | 5c: 1-Up | F E A T U R E S | | | | | .=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 5a: Hibachi (陽蜂) Requirements =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- A series staple, Hibachi is an alternative final boss that can only be reached by fulfilling the following requirements: Complete the game (defeat level 5 boss) One or fewer deaths Bee Item Perfect on at least 3 stages This follows tradition of No-Miss, Bee Item Perfect requirements. The latter means you must collect all 8 bees on at least 3 stages. However, you may not die in the middle of this. Collecting 4, dying and collecting the final 4 is not a Bee Item Perfect. Hibachi the true form of Hina and is as expected: significantly difficult. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 5b: Inbachi (陰蜂) Requirements =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Inbachi is a second, more challenging final boss. In addition to the added difficulty, the requirements to fight Inbachi are much more rigorous. However, you can battle this boss on training mode (not on Novice though) if you just want to test it all out. The requirements for Inbachi are as follows: All bees on all stages No misses (= don't die even once) No bombs (includes autobombs) For Shot & Laser Types Rank: At least Rank 30 ??? (Max Hit Count: At least 30,000) For Expert Type Rank: At least Rank 40 ??? (Max Hit Count: At least 50,000) Some sources claim a minimum hit count of 30k/50k but it appears some replays show Inbachi reached without such restrictions. The rank may be the only such requirement. Since you can't die or bomb, you can't reduce your rank prior to reaching Inbachi. Those are very specific requirements and are reserved for only the elite DDP players. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-= 5c: 1-Up =-=-=-=-=-= SDOJ follows tradition in a lot of ways and the level four 1-Up is no exception. In order to get this prized 1-Up, you will need to simply defeat Shingako, the level four mid-boss without using a bomb. You are allowed to die but bombs or autobombs will nullify this 1-Up attempt. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= .=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=. | | | S E C T I O N V I | 6a: Arcade HD Mode | | 6b: 1.5 Mode | G A M E | 6c: Novice Mode | M O D E S | 6d: Xbox360 Mode | | 6e: Store | | 6f: Patch Notes .=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 6a: Arcade HD Mode =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Arcade HD Mode is SDOJ's arcade port. The visuals have been polished but what you're getting here is a very faithful port of the arcade board. The revision on the main splash screen says 1.0.1 but other than the overflow bug being patched (read section 4h for more) and the visual upgrade, this appears almost identical to the arcade board. Since we've covered most basics already, what's left to discuss are simply the differences. ---- Bees ---- Bees were covered above so here are the scoring details you need to know. Obviously, bees give you points. They're not worth a ton, but the first chart will detail how many points you'll get for each. ---------------------- Bee Bonus Point Totals (in thousands) ---------------------- Level---> 1 2 3 4 5 ----- - - - - - 1st Bee 5 10 20 40 80 2nd Bee 10 20 40 80 160 3rd Bee 20 40 80 160 320 4th Bee 40 80 160 320 640 5th Bee 80 160 320 640 1,280 6th Bee 160 320 640 1,280 2,560 7th Bee 320 640 1,280 2,560 5,120 8th Bee 640 1,280 2,560 5,120 10,240 In order to receive full points, you must collect all the bees on any given level without dying. Collecting a few, dying and then collecting the rest will not give you the full score. In addition, collecting them all on any given level will give you a x2 multiplier. ----------------- Bee Hyper % Bonus ----------------- In addition to merely getting points, bees will help build your hyper meter. This is directly tied to your current chain count. For each 50 hits in your chain, you will receive a 1% hyper bonus. This maxes out at 30%. Therefore, collecting a bee with a combo of over 1,550 will net you almost 1/3 of a hyper meter. # Hits % Bonus # Hits % Bonus # Hits % Bonus ------ ------- ------ ------- ------ ------- 0-50 0% 51-100 1% 601-650 11% 1101-1150 21% 101-150 2% 651-700 12% 1151-1200 22% 151-200 3% 701-750 13% 1201-1250 23% 201-250 4% 751-800 14% 1251-1300 24% 251-300 5% 801-850 15% 1301-1350 25% 301-400 6% 851-900 16% 1351-1400 26% 401-450 7% 901-950 17% 1401-1450 27% 451-500 8% 951-1000 18% 1451-1500 28% 501-550 9% 1001-1050 19% 1501-1550 29% 551-600 10% 1051-1100 20% 1551-9999 30% In addition, by collecting all the bees on any stage, you'll get a +100% bonus, thereby giving you a full hyper meter (in addition to whatever percentage you were to receive anyway.) Therefore, collecting all eight bees on level 5 with a high combo will yield: 20,480,000 points (10,240,000 x 2) +130% Hyper gauge (30% for bee + 100% for all bees) ------------------ Bomb Maximum Bonus ------------------ As mentioned in section 4d above, by filling your bomb stock, the words Maximum will read in the bottom of the screen. You will receive a unique bonus for this. For every few frames of animation, you will receive a 2,222-point bonus while in Maximum mode. These break down as follows: At Maximum x1 (every 3 frames of animation) At Maximum x2 (every 2 frames of animation) At Maximum x3 (every 1 frame of animation) Info from Awo's translation of Simoon's formulas. Links here: http://awowa.blogspot.com/ http://sinmoon.blog.shinobi.jp/Date/20130607/1/ ---------- Challenges ---------- I love arcade ports but many times they are devoid of anything else. I've always enjoyed the inclusion of challenges or trials and SDOJ has a good collection of them. These range from reasonably easy to "I'm never going to be able to do that." However, for many gamers, particularly many from the East, this section isn't quite so hard. This section benefited greatly from Cagar's post to the Shmups forum. He credits mimiroru & pestro for assisting in the translations. (http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=45983) # Coins Challenge Lives / Bombs / Hyper - ----- --------- Lvl 01: (10C) Beat level 1 midboss 1 / No / 6 02: (30C) Beat level 2 midboss 1 / No / 6 03: (50C) Beat level 3 midboss 1 / No / 6 04: (60C) Beat level 4 midboss 1 / No / 6 05: (70C) Beat level 5 midboss 1 / No / 6 06: (80C) Chain Level 1 (up to the boss) 3 / Yes / 0 06: (80C) Reach Level 1 boss w/out breaking your chain 3 / Yes / 0 07: (100C) Reach Level 2 boss w/out breaking your chain 3 / Yes / 0 08: (120C) Reach Level 3 boss w/out breaking your chain 3 / Yes / 0 09: (150C) Reach Level 4 boss w/out breaking your chain 3 / Yes / 0 10: (200C) Reach Level 5 boss w/out breaking your chain 3 / Yes / 0 11: (40C) Collect all bees on Level 1 1 / Yes / 0 12: (80C) Collect all bees on Level 2 1 / Yes / 0 13: (120C) Collect all bees on Level 3 1 / Yes / 0 14: (160C) Collect all bees on Level 4 1 / Yes / 0 15: (200C) Collect all bees on Level 5 1 / Yes / 0 16: (150C) Perfect Chain Level 1 1 / No / 0 17: (200C) Perfect Chain Level 2 1 / No / 0 18: (250C) Perfect Chain Level 3 1 / No / 0 19: (300C) Perfect Chain Level 4 1 / No / 0 20: (400C) Perfect Chain Level 5 1 / No / 0 21: (20C) Beat Level 1 Boss 1 / Yes / 1 22: (60C) Beat Level 2 Boss 1 / Yes / 1 23: (80C) Beat Level 3 Boss 1 / Yes / 1 24: (100C) Beat Level 4 Boss 2 / Yes / 2 25: (150C) Beat Level 5 Boss 2 / Yes / 2 26: (40) Clear Level 1 (& Boss) 3 / Yes / 0 27: (100) Clear Level 2 (& Boss) 3 / Yes / 0 28: (150) Clear Level 3 (& Boss) 3 / Yes / 0 29: (200) Clear Level 4 (& Boss) 3 / Yes / 0 30: (300) Clear Level 5 (& Boss) 3 / Yes / 0 31: (150) Use hyper / refill gauge by midboss (Lvl 1) 1 / No / 0 32: (150) Use hyper / refill gauge by midboss (Lvl 2) 1 / No / 0 33: (200) Use hyper / refill gauge by midboss (Lvl 4) 1 / No / 0 34: (300) Use hyper / refill gauge by midboss (Lvl 5) 1 / No / 0 35: (40) Combo Meter Max (???) 36: (100) Hyper Gauge Charge - By Level 1 midboss? 1 / No / 0 37: (20) Hyper Get (Defeat arms for 200% hyper boost?) 1 / No / 0 38: (100) Get the 1-UP on the Level 4 midboss 1 / No / 0 39: (300) Defeat 4 midbosses on Level 5 1 / No / 10* 40: (40) Collect Level 4 midboss bee while using hyper? 1 / No / 6 41: (50) Beat Level 1 Midboss (on Expert difficulty) 1 / No / 6 42: (100) Beat Level 2 Midboss (on Expert difficulty) 1 / No / 6 43: (150) Beat Level 3 Midboss (on Expert difficulty) 1 / No / 6 44: (150) Beat Level 4 Midboss (on Expert difficulty) 1 / No / 6 45: (150) Beat Level 5 Midboss (on Expert difficulty) 1 / No / 6 46: (60) Beat Level 1 Boss (on Expert difficulty) 1 / Yes / 1 47: (100) Beat Level 2 Boss (on Expert difficulty) 1 / Yes / 1 48: (120) Beat Level 3 Boss (on Expert difficulty) 2 / Yes / 1 49: (160) Beat Level 4 Boss (on Expert difficulty) 2 / Yes / 1 50: (200) Beat Level 5 Boss (on Expert difficulty) 3 / Yes / 1 ----- Notes ----- 06-10: You may die or even lose your chain. Just don't let it drop to 0! 16-21: While 06-10 requires you to chain a level, Perfect Chaining means you cannot drop the chain at all (dying or letting your GP meter dwindle) 31-34: I think you must use a hyper and refill the gauge before the mid-boss 36: Fill your hyper gauge before the mid-boss? Pointblanking helps. 38: To get the 1-Up, defeat the mid-boss w/out using a bomb/autobomb. 39: You start with a level 10 hyper. You're awarded a level 5 hyper after the 1st boss and a level 3 hyper after 3rd boss -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 6b: 1.5 Mode =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- In recent years, Cave has updated several of their arcade titles to revision 1.5. This oftentimes fixes minor bugs but also changes qualities of the gameplay and/or scoring. While the arcade board saw no such revision, the home port of SDOJ in fact did. While first glances at 1.5 might appear almost identical to the standard Arcade Mode, you'll find some large functional differences. Scoring tactics have been significantly tweaked and you'll find a unique and interesting take on SDOJ's main gameplay. In fact, 1.5 is a hell of a lot of fun. I really wish Novice Mode had the option to choose Arcade or 1.5 as its basis. You'll find that this mode is a faster, higher-action game with more focus on hyper building and some interesting point tweaks. Since the gamemplay is really identical to the original arcade game, I'll just break down what's different. ----------------------- Version 1.5 Change List ----------------------- This list was translated by Sapz and posted to the Shmups forum by Cagar. (http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=45983) If you collect star items while lasering an enemy, the hit increase timing is no longer reset. Your combo gauge now increases while lasering something mid-hyper. When lasering something normally, the rate of hit increase has sped up. Properties of hypers have changed. While using a hyper: 1. The amount of points for shooting something varies based on hyper level. 2. The ratio of GP value gained varies based on hyper level. 3. The duration of the hyper varies based on hyper level. 4. The number of star items generated varies based on hyper level. 5. The amount of hits gained while lasering something has increased, again based on hyper level. Parameters of star items have changed: 1. The amount of hits gained for collection has been changed. 2. The amount of score gained for collection has been changed. 3. The amount of GP value gained for collection has been changed. All star items will be large during a hyper of level 6 or greater. The amount of score and star items generated per enemy has been changed. The amount of combo gauge gained from (non-flying?) enemy destruction has been changed. When collecting a bee item, the amount of hyper gauge gained has been changed, based on the current number of hits. The conditions for star items to be generated during boss fights have been changed. The no-miss bonus for stages has been increased. (See chart below) The amount of points gained from the maximum bonus has been changed. (this is likely a fix of the Overflow Glitch (see 4h above) When you fill the hyper gauge mid-hyper and cancel bullets, the bullets are now turned into large star items rather than small ones. The amount of hyper gauge gained from collecting stars has been changed, and is based on the current game rank when collecting them. --------------- Scoring Changes --------------- Beyond that exhaustive list of changes, there are also some scoring tweaks. The No Miss thing was listed above but here are specifics including the changes to Extends. Arcade HD 1.5 --------- --- 1st Extend 800 million 1.5 billion 2nd Extend 1.8 billion 3.5 billion No Miss (lvl 1) 20 million 50 million No Miss (lvl 2) 40 million 100 million No Miss (lvl 3) 60 million 150 million No Miss (lvl 4) 80 million 200 million No Miss (lvl 5) 100 million 250 million ------------- Hyper Changes ------------- This is mostly pasted from section 4c above. The GP bonus you receive for hypers has increased. Arcade 1.5 Hyper Lvl GP Bonus GP Bonus --------- -------- -------- Level 1 1.1 2 Level 2 1.2 2.2 Level 3 1.3 2.4 Level 4 1.4 2.6 Level 5 1.5 2.8 Level 6 2.2 3.0 Level 7 2.4 3.0 Level 8 2.6 3.0 Level 9 2.8 3.0 Level 10 3.0 3.0 ----------------- Bee Hyper % Bonus ----------------- The chart from Arcade HD carries over here, as the first bee is worth 5,000 and each subsequent bee is double that total. However, the percentage chart goes up by 200 hits (rather than 50) and can max out at 100% (rather than 30%). This chart is by all means unnecessary, but for the sake of completion... # Hits % Bonus # Hits % Bonus # Hits % Bonus ------ ------- ------ ------- ------ ------- 000-200 0% 201-400 1% 6801-7000 34% 13401-13600 67% 401-600 2% 7001-7200 35% 13601-13800 68% 151-800 3% 7201-7400 36% 13801-14000 69% 201-1000 4% 7401-7600 37% 14001-14200 70% 251-1200 5% 7601-7800 38% 14201-14400 71% 301-1400 6% 7801-8000 39% 14401-14600 72% 401-1600 7% 8001-8200 40% 14601-14800 73% 451-1800 8% 8201-8400 41% 14801-15000 74% 501-2000 9% 8401-8600 42% 15001-15200 75% 551-2200 10% 8601-8800 43% 15201-15400 76% 2201-2400 11% 8801-9000 44% 15401-15600 77% 2401-2600 12% 9001-9200 45% 15601-15800 78% 2601-2800 13% 9201-9400 46% 15801-16000 79% 2801-3000 14% 9401-9600 47% 16001-16200 80% 3001-3200 15% 9601-9800 48% 16201-16400 81% 3201-3400 16% 9801-10000 49% 16401-16600 82% 3401-3600 17% 10001-10200 50% 16601-16800 83% 3601-3800 18% 10201-10400 51% 16801-17000 84% 3801-4000 19% 10401-10600 52% 17001-17200 85% 4001-4200 20% 10601-10800 53% 17201-17400 86% 4201-4400 21% 10801-11000 54% 17401-17600 87% 4401-4600 22% 11001-11200 55% 17601-17800 88% 4601-4800 23% 11201-11400 56% 17801-18000 89% 4801-5000 24% 11401-11600 57% 18001-18200 90% 5001-5200 25% 11601-11800 58% 18201-18400 91% 5201-5400 26% 11801-12000 59% 18401-18600 92% 5401-5600 27% 12001-12200 60% 18601-18800 93% 5601-5800 28% 12201-12400 61% 18801-19000 94% 5801-6000 29% 12401-12600 62% 19001-19200 95% 6001-6200 30% 12601-12800 63% 19201-19400 96% 6201-6400 31% 12801-13000 64% 19401-19600 97% 6401-6600 32% 13001-13200 65% 19601-19800 98% 6601-6800 33% 13201-13400 66% 19801-20000 99% 20000+ 100% If you can manage a 20,000-hit combo, each bee collected will give you a full hyper meter. As with regular bees, by collecting all 8 on a stage, you'll get a full hyper meter as well. At the end of level 3, where there are 3 bees waiting, you could conceivably get 4 full hyper meters (three bees @ 100% and one bonus one for collecting them all.) ------------------ Bomb Maximum Bonus ------------------ Unlike Arcade HD's bonus which gauges how many frames of animation are required for the bonus, a very unique formula is present for the bomb maximum bonus in Ver 1.5. 2,222 x (Rank / 5) +1 x Bomb Maximum Level This works for every frame of animation. Obviously, the higher the rank and higher the bomb max level (x1, x2 or x3) = a higher bonus! I would never have figured this out on my own. Info from Awo's translation of Simoon's formulas. Links here: http://awowa.blogspot.com/ http://sinmoon.blog.shinobi.jp/Date/20130607/1/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 6c: Novice Mode =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- I love Novice Mode. I loved it in DFK and I love it here. In all my years of playing shmups and playing DDP, I've encountered so many elitists. No matter how much I practice, I'm *not* going to 1cc anything. MAYBE one title in one mode... So, when DFK added a Novice Mode, I welcomed it. In SDOJ, a notoriously brutal game, I've thoroughly enjoyed a slightly-less insane version. And, if you like obvious oxymorons, feel free to try Novice Expert mode! In fact, Novice Mode with an Expert dress is actually a great challenge. It's harder than standard Novice mode yet easier than the standard Arcade HD/1.5 game. And, it's the only mode I'd ever use the Expert dress for. So, what is there to say here? This has the same options as the last two modes. You can play score attack and upload your scores or play standard and tweak your settings or turn on Game Options (see 6e1 below). For those who don't like novice modes, just avoid this entirely. For those of us who need a little assistance, this mode might be for you! Oh, Novice Mode is based on the Arcade HD mode, not 1.5. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 6d: Xbox360 Mode =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Exclusive to this port, the Xbox360 Mode is a cool take on SDOJ. It is substantially different from the original Arcade HD mode (and thus Novice Mode) and also the tweaked Version 1.5. In Xbox360 Mode, you can only choose Saya, a new, exclusive character to this port. She is a solid character, with good speed, laser and shot qualities. Saya is the only character you can play as in Xbox360 Mode. Unlike Arcade/1.5, Shot, Laser and Expert correspond to Novice, Normal and Expert difficulties. You do not have lives or bombs in this mode. Instead, in the upper-right hand portion of the screen is a number starting at 10,000. This corresponds with the green meter at the bottom of the screen. If this meter drops to zero, you will die and your game will end. There are ways to increase and decrease this meter. Let's start with the negative! To Increase The Meter Use Hyper and collect green stars To Drop The Meter Method Enery Meter Chain ------ ----------- ----- Use ShotLaser Quickly drops Increases Faster Autobomb -2,000 Kills Chain Bomb -1,500 Doesn't Kill Chain Autobomb (final bosses) -1,500 Kills Chain Bomb (final bosses) -1,000 Doesn't Kill Chain? For Hibachi's 2nd form and for Inbachi, you lose less for each bomb/autobomb. Holding Shot & Laser together makes Saya perform ShotLaser & here she dishes out added damage. However, as you hold these buttons down, your meter will diminish. As detailed above, this meter can also be reduced by bombing or getting hit (autobomb is always on). Once you're below 2,000, you will be given a warning (so that any autobomb would end your game!) To fill your meter back up, use a hyper. Defeating enemies creates green stars and these will re-fill your meter. As usual, saving your hyper for level 6 will create more green stars and therefore will fill your meter faster. The strategy used for Xbox360 mode is to keep your meter low, but not too low. By using ShotLaser, you'll dish out added damage and will therefore build your hyper meter more. Using hyper to re-fill your meter is all good and well, but it will drive up your rank. Novices, simply don't use ShotLaser at all. By keeping your meter full, you're in less danger of dying. By not using hyper, you can save it for whenever you *do* get hit and by using it less you won't max out your rank. In addition, Xbox360 Mode features life gauges for certain enemies and for appendages of bosses. You can receive a bonus for killing off these extra parts. --------- Bee Bonus --------- Quite different from the other modes, bees are pretty simple here, though their bonus differs depending on the type of ship you use. Ship Bee Bonus ---- --------- Shot Type 1,000 x Max Hit Combo (x2) Laser / Expert 10,000 x Max Hit Combo (x2) Your bonus is based on your max hit count, not your current combo. You will receive a x2 multiplier if you manage to collect all 8 bees on any single level. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-= 6e: Store =-=-=-=-=-=-= Throughout four modes, we have a few different takes on SDOJ. There is the remixed Xbox360 version, the standard arcade game, the slight 1.5 tweak and a nice novice mode for those who want it. Ultimately though, it feels a bit less diverse from what was offered in DFK and for this, we have the store. By playing the game in normal or score attack modes, you will earn coins to purchase things from the shop. This shop has 15 cheats/extras as well as 50 different wallpapers and 9 sound test options. The wallpapers are split, 50 in standard Yoko orientation and the same 50 in Tate. The sound test options are vocal sounds from each of the different Element Dolls. First, let's look at coins and how to earn them. Each time you play you will earn coins. Playing on Score Attack will award you twice as many coins as a regular playthrough. ----- Coins ----- If You Die On Normal Score Attack | ------ ------------ .----> Level 1 1 coin 2 coins Level 2 20 40 Level 3 40 80 Level 4 60 120 Level 5 80 160 Complete 100 200 In order to purchase everything, you'll need to play a while. Cheats 6,900 Sounds 2,400 Wallpapers 1,760 (860 x 2 sizes) ----- 11,600 total coins needed to purchase everything ------------ Game Options ------------ Here are all the cheats and their costs 100 Auto Hyper 100 Auto Shield 300 Reduce Fighter 200 Reduce Enemy Bullet 20 Invisible After Image 100 Enemy Life Gauge 100 Automatic Acquisition Item 100 Marked Bee 10 Invisible Operator 800 Auto Pilot 1000 Full Auto Pilot 1000 AI Partner 50 Maximum Does Not Stop 20 Invisible Fighter Collision Display 3000 Unlock Saya (in Arcade/1.5/Novice) And here is a list of what each does. Auto Hyper ---------- When hit, if you have hypers in stock, this will act like an autobomb. Instead of dying or using a bomb, you will activate your hyper (and any you have in stock). Auto Shield ----------- When hit, will reduce bomb stock by 1. You can continue using your hyper in this mode too! Reduce Fighter -------------- Level 1-4 Reduce the size of your ship. The higher the level, the smaller your fighter! Reduce Enemy Bullet ------------------- Level 1-3 This reduces the size of enemy bullets. It's not always as helpful as it sounds. I find that the bullets are very hard to see on level 3. Sure, they're easier to dodge, but if you can't see them, it's not perfect. Invisible After Image --------------------- When using your laser shot, normally your ship will leave shadow trails. By turning this cheat on, you will turn off those trails. Enemy Life Gauge ---------------- For larger, non-popcorn enemies, an enemy gauge is visible with a percentage of energy each has remaining. This is similar to the gauge available in Xbox360 mode. Automatic Acquisition Item -------------------------- Stars enemies drop are immediately collected. Typically you'd have to hit laser to call these stars to you. Marked Bee ---------- Bees will be spotted very easily here, with long green rays of light. Invisible Operator ------------------ If the operator's banter bothers you, you can quiet her down & turn her off completely with this. Auto Pilot ---------- Auto Pilot will allow the CPU to control your fighter, dodging bullets and allowing you to focus solely on firing. Full Auto Pilot --------------- If you would like to watch a game played by a machine, here you go. With this, the CPU will control both the flying and the shooting. Note, it won't collect bees, nor will it use hypers or laser shot, it seems. AI Partner ---------- Maximum Does Not Stop --------------------- It seems the description says this has something to do w/ bosses. Invisible Fighter Collision Display ----------------------------------- At the center of your fighter normally is a red pulsating center. This is your hit box. Bullets can hit any other part of your ship, but this will kill you. With this cheat, you can turn off that hit box. Unlock Saya ----------- Saya is the exclusive new character for the Xbox360 version of the game. While Saya is normally only available in that mode, for a meager 3,000 coins, you can unlock her to use in all modes. In order to select Saya, click R3 or the Back Button on the ship selection screen. ----- Sound ----- 20 AC Voice (Shuri) 20 AC Voice (Hikari) 20 AC Voice (Maria) 20 AC Voice (Operator) 20 AC Voice (Hina/Hibachi) 100 Xbox360 Voice (Operator) 100 Xbox360 Voice (Saya) 100 Xbox360 Voice (Hina/Hibachi) 2000 Story (?) ---------- Wallpapers ---------- As many people have widescreen televisions nowadays, the inclusion of wallpaper is more necessary than in the older days. SDOJ offers us up 50 different wallpapers. You may purchase these in Yoko or Tate mode. Let's catalog what these wallpapers are and their cost. # Cost Details -- ---- ------- 01 (10) Shuri (Shot) 02 (10) Maria (Shot) 03 (10) Hikari (Shot) 04 (10) Saya (Shot) 05 (10) Shuri (Laser) 06 (10) Maria (Laser) 07 (10) Hikari (Laser) 08 (10) Saya (Laser) 09 (10) Operator 10 (10) Hibachi 11 (100) Shuri (Expert) 12 (100) Hikari (Expert) 13 (100) Maria (Expert) 14 (100) Saya (Expert) 15 (10) Shuri (Face) 16 (10) Hikari (Face) 17 (10) Maria (Face) 18 (10) Saya (Face) 19 (10) Saya 20 (10) Red Ship 21 (10) Green Ship (Element Doll-extra Attacker Cradle-model.B) 22 (10) Blue Ship (Element Doll-extra Bomber Cradle-model.C) 23 (10) Purple Ship (Element Doll-extra Gunship Cradle-model.D) 24 (10) -Suzaku- (Stage 1 Boss) 25 (10) -Byakko- (Stage 2 Boss) 26 (10) -Genbu- (Stage 3 Boss) 27 (10) -Seiryu- (Stage 4 Boss) 28 (10) -Kouryu- (Stage 5 Boss) 29 (10) -Hibachi- (Final/Extra Boss) 30 (10) -Hisou- (Stage 1 Mid-Boss) 31 (10) -Raisou- (Stage 2 Mid-Boss) 32 (10) IGS-Scion- (Stage 3 Mid-Boss) 33 (10) -Shingako- (Stage 4 Mid-Boss) 34 (10) -Saikou- (Stage 5 Mid-Boss) 35 (10) Hikari & Pilot 36 (10) Elemental Dolls 37 (10) Hikari (Cover of SDOJ/DDP:Maximum OST) 38 (10) Elemental Dolls 39 (10) Hina & Saya (Cover of SDOJ LE/SLE OST) 40 (10) Hikari 41 (10) Shuri 42 (10) Hikari 43 (10) Maria 44 (10) -Saya- Gunship Cradle / Full Battle Formation 45 (10) DDP Strike Group 46 (10) Red Ship Bio 47 (10) Green Ship Bio 48 (10) Blue Ship Bio 49 (10) Purple Ship Bio 50 (10) Colonel Godwin Longhener Artwork #51-100 is identical just in Tate (on its side). Simply go into the gallery mode to set these as your background or to remove them and have the default one. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 6f: Patch Notes =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= - The leaderboard bug has been fixed - Some small bugs involving the training mode and restarts were fixed - The bug that made the game stop when collecting items was fixed - Some bug with the music was fixed - The bug where extra windows slowed the game down was fixed - Minor fixes -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= .=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=. | | | S E C T I O N V I I | | ------------------ | | | | A C H I E V E M E N T | | G U I D E | | | | | .=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=. SDOJ's achievements are somewhat easier than DFK's but there are still a few tough ones in here. The good news is that you can do many of these on novice mode (for those who need some help). In fact, you'll receive a number of these within the first hour of playing (i.e. Start a game, choose each doll, clear stages, use a bomb, use a hyper). These are separated by mode. Some can be obtained in any mode, others are specifically locked to certain modes. I'll put some pointers below. Xbox 360 / Arcade HD / 1.5 / Novice Modes ----------------------------------------- 5 出撃します！ Start a game 10 MAXハイパー！ Use a level 10 hyper 50 完全撃破 Clear a game, all dolls, no continues Arcade HD / 1.5 / Novice Modes ------------------------------ 5 朱理 Choose Shuri 5 光 Choose Hikari 5 真璃亜 Choose Maria 5 市街地を越えて Clear Stage 1 10 水源地を越えて Clear Stage 2 15 住宅地を越えて Clear Stage 3 20 郊外を越えて Clear Stage 4 25 地下通路を越えて Clear Stage 5 20 朱理の完 Clear a game with Shuri 20 光の完 Clear a game with Hikari 20 真璃亜の完 Clear a game with Maria 5 良いボムしてるね！ Use a bomb 5 思わぬ花火！ Use an autobomb 5 ハイパー！ Use a hyper 15 1000HIT Make a 1,000-hit combo 30 5000HIT Make a 5,000-hit combo 40 10000HIT Make a 10,000-hit combo 30 コンプリート Clear a game with all dolls 30 1コイン Clear a game without continuing 5 GET Pick up a bomb 5 スタンバイ Get a hyper 15 蜂億点 Score 800 million points 20 拾蜂億点 Score 1 billion 800 million points 50 蜂蜂億点 Score 8 billion 800 million points 10 相応しいカタチ Beat Hibachi to watch her ending Arcade HD / 1.5 Modes --------------------- 10 １機ノーボム Clear stage 1 / No dying / No bombs 15 エキスパートへの挑戦 Clear stage 1 - Expert 15 上達への道 Clear from stage 1 to 2 - no continues 25 更なる上達への道 Clear from stage 2 to 3 within 2 credits 35 上達 Clear the game within 7 credits Arcade HD Mode Only ------------------- 15 チャレンジ１年生 Complete 10 challenges 30 資格ゲッター Complete 25 challenges 50 ミッションコンプリート！ Complete all challenges Xbox360 Mode Only ----------------- 5 桜夜 Choose Saya 20 桜夜の完 Clear the game with Saya 10 大往生直前 Use double attack and reduce your energy to 0 25 輝く蜂は蜜の味 Collect a bee with a max combo over 10,000 25 命を削る力 Use double attack for 30 seconds in 1 playthrough 15 大錬金! Defeat a bullet-erasing enemy by using a double-attack to change bullets into star items. 50 エネルギー大復活 Increase your energy by 5,000 in a single hyper. 15 徹底的に剥いてやる！1 Destroy all parts of the stage 1 boss 10 徹底的に剥いてやる！2 Destroy all parts of the stage 2 boss 10 全力中の全力！ After your fighter transformed at Hibachi's 3rd form, use a hyper. Shop ---- 15 常連客 Buy 30 items at the shop 30 大富豪 Buy all items at the shop 25 良い買い物しましたね! Buy the ??? at the shop (Saya = 2000) 50 ぶるじょわ Save 9,999 coins 完全撃破 (Clear a game, all dolls, no continues) ------- Set all good game options on, set lives & bombs to max and difficulty to easy. 10000HIT: (Make a 10,000-hit combo) -------- Save your hypers until the level 4 boss. Bust open that hyper and don't die (Novice mode is obviously easiest). You'll rack up some serious hits here. 相応しいカタチ: (Beat Hibachi to watch her ending) ------------ The requirements to fight Hibachi are detailed above in section 5a. 大往生直前: (Use double attack and reduce your energy to 0) -------- Simply hold down Shot + Laser until your gauge drops to 0. 大往生直前: (Use double attack for 30 seconds in one playthrough) -------- Double attack is where you use Shot + Laser at the same time. Since your gauge will drop from 10,000, you'll have to keep using double attack and then replenish it using hypers. Just make it to 30 seconds. 大錬金！: (Beat a bullet-erasing enemy by using double-attack to change...) ------ Just use ShotLaser and defeat a bullet-erasing enemy. Midbosses count as do turrets on level 3 and the pink-spiral, bullet-emitting guys on level 5. エネルギー大復活: (Increase your energy by 5,000 in a single hyper.) ------------- You'll definitely want to save your hyper until you have level 10 stocked. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= .=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=. | | | S E C T I O N V I I I | | ------------------------ | | | | C R E D I T S | | | | | .=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=. A long-standing and consistently frequented forum, the Shmups Forum has been around forever. And since DDP is such a well-liked series, a *ton* of information was culled from its archives. While I took an awful lot of time going through the game, most of this document would not have been written without the assistance of the following site: Shmups Forum http://shmups.system11.org http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=42632 I've been a member here forever and you can meet some phenomenal people here. The first link is to the forums, the second is to the DDP:SDOJ documentation. Specific thanks: Moozah ratikal mimiroru pestro Sapz Cagar Tilting At Windmills http://awowa.blogspot.co.nz/2013/06/dodonpachi-saidaiuojou-impressions-of.html Simoon's Formulas http://sinmoon.blog.shinobi.jp/Date/20130607/1/ Hardcore Gaming 101: DDP http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/dodonpachi/dodonpachi.htm Xbox Achievements http://www.trueachievements.com/DoDonPachi-Saidaioujou/achievements.htm GameFAQs http://www.gamefaqs.com/ I can't forget that when I started making web sites, GameFAQs was also a startup. That was a LONG time ago. Both the site and its boards can be incredibly helpful. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= .=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=. | | | S E C T I O N I X | | -------------------- | | | | L E G A L | | S T U F F | | | .=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=. This FAQ is copyright (c) 2014, Trevor Esposito (slateman@godflesh.com) DoDonPachi: Sai-Dai-Ou-Jou is copyright (c) 2012-2014, Cave DoDonPachi: Sai-Dai-Ou-Jou is trademark of Cave. You may not distribute this for profit. You may not edit or alter the contents herein without the permission of the author. Currently, this FAQ may only be hosted at GameFAQs.com. The most current version of this FAQ can always be found here: http://www.slateman.net/faqs/ Hope the FAQ was useful in some form. Good luck and have fun! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=