This is an exception, though. Not all games are so difficult to tell what you're doing and how it feels to play.

No matter.

I'm struggling with level 4. I put it down to age.

I imagine you'd be alright at getting through to the end Kow, as you understand the ins and outs of ACTUAL music and rhythm. It's certainly a game you can beat by attrition and tenacity too. Supposedly the level is the time of the song so Level 4 is 4/4. I think the ones based on 3/4 (so 6/4, 9/4) were the hardest overall.

I've seen some of the people on GAF posting S ranks on stage 9 etc. That's not gonna be me, although it's basically at the top of my "currently playing list" I can see myself playing it a lot.

I think the replay is tied to the score attack, in that the way to get high scores is to learn how to do the THUMP mechanic in areas that aren't telegraphed. Later levels tease you with rings, which can only be hit when you're in the air, but they are often a long way after pads you have to hit - so you need to jump off a pad, hit a perfect turn to maintain air, then thump, which in turn activates more pads down the line that boost your score. Simple in practise, but mechanically very demanding, at least to someone like me.

I can't see past it being one of my favourite games of the year so far, but I'm well aware that people rarely track their opinions to mine. Quarter 4 will have to drop something pretty special to topple it.

That reads like a potentially interesting game mechanic.

You don't have time to react to most punches once you've seen them, you just have to watch the other guy's position (if his feet are close or wide, etc.) and predict as much as you can. One of the first things to learn is to not move away from punches, since power punches are far easier to extend than they are to shorten. With the exception of hooks and uppercuts, but you have to be close (and coil a bit) for those, so again - position.

Floyd Patterson's famous gazelle punch was a bit clumsy-looking and unsafe, but effective because it's a long-range punch that can be shortened to find the other guy's head. Unless you walk onto something as you throw it, o' course, and then you're down. You can't just throw it out there - you have to be able to read when yer opponent's cautious.

T H U M P E R

Roujin's probably montaging through with his Hit Box as I type. Don't call it a comeback.

We were talking about that, and I repped the Hit Box. But I once tried a HRAP2 with WipEout HD and it wasn't all that; too much stick travel on the JLF.

My short-throw custom, though, sure.

If it's binary yes/no inputs then a hitbox sounds ideal. Pretty sure I saw folk on a rtg forum happy they had use for their arcade sticks with this.

Completed this over last weekend. Ending level has a bastard of a final trick it throws your way before you slump back into your basic aurally dead reality and reflect on the life of a chrome beetle.

[8]

Finally finished this tonight.  Final boss is a bit irritating, but otherwise I loved it from beginning to end.  It's also entirely justified the purchase of PSVR.  (Even though, yes, you're only ever looking straight ahead.  But having that whole psychedelic maelstrom around you is rather amazing.)

Had a quick go on the new + version as well.  Same game, only faster, with just one life, and a sexier beetle.  What's not to like?

Enjoying this. Only just did level 2 but went back and redid lv1 for score (almost got S with a score if 174k or so). Then redid lv2 for fun and practice and it was... fun. 

This is fun. Can see it getting brutal later. 

Only have 4 or 5 from my FL on leaderboards. Of which 1 person (Shabby) got anywhere on it. Hmmm.

Actually think my ranks from earlier in the thread never changed

If jump, you can hold up to stay in the air, you can do corner drifts too.