HRtP: I like the controls for the game, the game also exercises anticipation about where the orb is going and where you want it to go, while avoiding bullets and trying to chain the tiles; I like the trip towards Sariel (it feels a bit desolate at the mid of the game, with only yourself to get through these levels), and like the Konngara fight too.
SoEW: stage 2 makes me think of a trip through a forest in an afternoon, having to defend yourself against the youkai there. The bgm fits well with this idea in mind, I think. Stage 3 feels like a calm trip in the night, with an even better bgm (perhaps my favorite stage theme from SoEW). Stage 4 feels faster-paced, since the scenery is moving fast and you fight that mid-boss along with it. Then finally, Stage 5 and its bgm feels dramatic, like you're nearing the conclusion of the game. I like the themes of night, a darkened room and space present there, but I think that they could have some improvement, like.. making the stage a bit more complex/fun so that it becomes remarkable. Mima, as a boss, isn't challenging enough, she has improved versions of Marisa's attacks besides her own attacks, yet Marisa's equally difficult (imho). That's quite a high price to pay for being the first final boss in a Touhou shmup.
PoDD: the stages look similar, so I won't comment on them.. I liked most of the characters' gameplay and themes, and liked the last two stages as well, and the humorous tone of the game.
LLS: the last three stages are surreal, as expected from Yuka's dream land. Yuka herself can be compared to a slightly twisted version of the Sleeping Beauty (Sleeping Terror, anyone?), and the final stage has similar characteristics than the ones I mentioned in SoEW, except the dramatic feeling. Yet, you feel that you're nearing the game's end, and approaching the source and end of the dream land. (I still remember the final 3 bullet spawners, and the fact that the last powerup can be used to clear their final wave
)
MS: Stage 2 is a nice opportunity to feature a space-like travel theme, and a change in the game's pace. Stage 3 is dream-like, like LLS's last stages are, since it has Alice as its stage boss, stage 4 doesn't manage to give me a sense of travel in a snow field, stage 5 feels desolate and slow-paced (though the barrages are dense, there), a thing that I liked on that stage. Stage 6 also didn't manage to give me the feeling that the fight against Shinki is transforming the environment around her and the player, though Shinki herself changes forms and intensifies her attacks.
as for the Windows series, I can't remember consistently about remarkable sections, so I'll try..
- EoSD stage 2
- EoSD's fight against Remilia
- PCB's title bgm (gets you in the game's wintery setting)
- PCB's first stage
- PCB's fight against Chen (with her bgm, you forget about the city below you and pay attention to her and her patterns)
- PCB's stage 4 (I liked the trip more than the boss fight)
- PCB's fight against Youmu (liked the slowdown gimmick)
- PCB's Extra/Phantasm stage and bosses
- IN's stages in general (the setting, not the stages themselves except for stages 3, 4 and 6A/6B)
- IN's Extra Stage
- PoFV's Medicine/Aya stages, since these are the better stages to score in (I think), so I have to keep focused in them, keep control of the game and seek to chain chain chain chain chain chain (Makkusu Chain!)
- MoF's stages except for stage 5 (the patterns were unfun/uncreative, I think, even though I enjoyed spending bombs to eat bullets)
- MoF's fight against Kanako (and stage 6)
- SA's stages (I think I liked stage 5's setting the least, but it's okay as a connection between stages 4 and 6)
- UFO's stages (more due to the enemy formations and attacks than the setting, though stages 3, 5 and 6 manage to stand out in that aspect)
- UFO's fight against Byakuren (and stage 6 as well)
I like fighting games in general as much as I like shmups, because of the things they exercise. Getting better in such games make you explore their potential more, and then you further exercise yourself and have more fun
If I were to say about "my game", or "the game that's most unlike me", I would choose (for the games that appeal me the most) games/genres/series that I enjoy for some reason (for the things they exercise, for example, how they play and what they allow you to do, or for the setting, mood, storytelling, etc.), and those that I avoid (note that this is very subjective. For example, I dislike X-Men vs. Street Fighter, because I don't want to exercise my abilities at performing relatively easy infinite combos on others, and try to not get myself comboed in such manner. Not to mention that I'm VERY GOOD at performing combos, to the point that I rely more on things that can compensate for my lack of ability in performing them.. -- just a note, I *should* try to improve in that aspect, in order to get the most out of each attack opportunity in other games, but if it's easier to work on something else, before I'm forced -- by good enough opponents -- to work on improving my execution in general, I'll take that path instead)
