What happens when you die in Super Star Soldier

[SignOfZeta]

OK, I've been playing this game a lot lately, and a lot in the past, and I can't for the life of me determine the logic behind what happens when you blow up. Usually you restart the level, but sometimes you don't. I've heard people say that it has something to do with the number of ships you have in stock, but that's bullshit because today I ran my lives all the way down to zero in the same spot without having to restart the level, and another time I died with only one spare ship and didn't have to restart the level. Most of the time it restarts unless you are fighting a boss.

Whatever the system is for determining whether or not you have to restart the level, if it isn't just random, its impossibly arcane. WTF?

BTW, as much as I love this game, its frustrating as hell because of the STUPID power up system that plagues all Soldier games. The hardest thing to do in the entire game is avoiding power ups that you don't want.

[Turbo D]

If you collect a certain power-up, you will not have to start at the beginning of the level after you die. These power-ups are random as far as I know and must be activated. They start as a normal power-up, but when shot, they freeze in position and absorb energy. When you've pumped them up enough, they start to flash as well as move again; grab it and you will be granted the ability in question.

[SignOfZeta]

Um...are you sure that's correct? As far as I know the flashing power ups are just bombs. The ones you shoot cycle through the different colors/sub weapons and stop if you shoot them so you can grab the color you want. Their final color is the flashing one.

[shubibiman]

It's not random. You restart where you die when your little ship representing the number of lives you still have is golden. I don't remember exactly how you do that. I think it's when you power up your ship to the max and then get another power up. It will blast everything off of screen and then you'll restart at the point where you died.

[SignOfZeta]

Hm...that would explain things. I'll try to pay attention to this next time.

[Necromancer]

Um...are you sure that's correct?

It's been discussed here many times before; turbo_D is correct.  The flashing orbs are bombs and 'continues'.

[shubibiman]

The flashing orbs are bombs and 'continues'.

That's it!

[SignOfZeta]

So can you store these up, or can you only have one 'continue' at a time? I ask because sometimes I'm able to get killed and not sent back to the start of the stage as many as 4 times in a row...but this is maybe only when fighting bosses. Do you not get sent back when fighting bosses?

[Necromancer]

I think you can store 'em up.

[rag-time4]

You can definitely store them up, but the game doesn't tell you how many of your remaining lives are golden and which are normal.

Zeta, how do you feel about the power up system in Detana!! Twinbee??

[DesmondThe3rd]

I recommend getting as much these flashing bombs power ups as possible as it makes Super Star Soldier a little easier. It works the same in Blazing Lazers too.

[SignOfZeta]

Yeah, now that I know how this works I'm going to change my strategy a bit. This game is long as hell! I thought it was 6 stages but now I see its actually 8. Dang.

As for Twinbee...I can't remember the power up systems. I know there are bells that change color when you shoot them...something like that. I only have the FC version.

[Mathius]

Spriggan works the same way, but you don't have to shoot the orb. It flashes as soon as it enters the screen, and when you pick it up it kills all minor enemies while giving you an instant restart when your ship gets destroyed. As far as I know most Hudson shooters (plus Compile's Blazing Lazers as mentioned above) uses different variations of this system.