Difficulty tiers for PC Engine/TG-16 shoot-'em-ups

[lukester]

I've been playing Tatsujin recently on Normal Mode. I can get up to the 3rd Stage boss.

Looking at a longplay, the 4th and 5th stages seem a lot harder. Am I correct?

I have been able to beat level 1 and half of level 2 on one continue, but somethings can give me trouble.

Farthest I've made it at all is around the exploding light bulb things. That i always forget about the first time. I spent a few weeks on and off on it. It kicks my ass, but always has me coming back for whatever reason. I think it's the tunes.

Trick with the lightbulbs is not to shoot all of them, but only some of them. So if there are right and left columns, only pick one side at once.

I've briefly played the Genesis version, but it is much easier with very slow bullets and 6 continues instead of 4.

I typically do something to that extent where i shoot only a few. But it'll always catch me off guard and then I'll forget later as well, haha. I still really want to try the Genesis version.

Yeah Genny version is good, but the colors are worse, and I hate the sound.

[nosorrow]

Robo Aleste and Space Megaforce, both of which are on the easy side.

I agree with your take on Blazing Lazers but you must be a shmup god as Robo Aleste is hard as hell - at least for me. I play the game on easy and it's still pretty hard: enemies take too long to kill/weapons are underpowered. I still love the game though (Compile).

[tggodfrey]

Magical Chase, Air Zonk and SAZ are easy.  I disagree with Moderate.