In MoF, ReimuA is the same way. The stages will become very, very easy, but the bosses from Aya on will drag on forever - and in a game where bombing is tied to power, messing up just makes the REST of the battle take longer, causing you to bomb/die more, and so forth. Don't bother taking on Suwako unless you have half an hour to burn.
ReimuA is not that weak. She is my choice of character for MoF Extra (only because she trivializes the stage) and deals decent damage to Suwako.
I question your definition of "decent".
Alternatively, have you tried other shot types? ReimuB is much better at basically everything except the fairies that scream in firing blue bullets and the fairies that come in from behind.
Agreed.
Much as I love ReimuA for the main game, candor compels me to admit that she just doesn't have the oomph behind her attacks that ReimuB and Marisa have. While the lengthened spellcard time isn't usually a problem for me (except against VoWG, certain noncards, and possibly Cork Sign), it
is a problem against Suwako, and perhaps more importantly, it gives me more time in which to make a mistake. As u? pointed out: once you make that first mistake, you can expect more to follow, simply due to reduced output on your end.
Point of fact, ReimuB and MarisaB are the only two with whom I can clear Extra.
Looking back, I find that while the homing characters make the game easier at first, they quickly fall behind characters like PCB/EoSD MarisaA/ReimuB, IN Youmu/Magic Team, MoF ReimuB, and so forth. The problem I have in playing them is that when I do, I'm not actually
learning anything about the game, the opponents, or my own play. All I'm doing is letting the computer handle the killing while I dodge a dramatically reduced number of bullets and enemies....until something shows up that the homers can't take out quickly, at which point I'm caught off guard and pretty much hosed. And when I switch to someone without homing, nothing I picked up from the homer applies - no patterns, no techniques, no nothing. Not even information.
And when you're moving up to Hard and Lunatic, you need all the help you can get!