This strategy guide is a translation of most of the info in the official Deathsmiles guide included in the limited Deathsmiles DVD release. Other info has been supplemented by the author (me). GaijinPunch is another contributor to this guide.
1.0 Basics
1.1 Codes to unlock hidden characters + the Canyon stage
Insert a coin, then at the title screen enter:
UNLOCK FOLLETT:
2P: Hold A, B +C
1P: ↑, ↑, ↑, ↑, B,B,A,A, ←, ←, →, →, C, C, C, ↓, C
UNLOCK ROSA:
2P: Hold A, B, +C
1P: C,B,A,C,B,↑,A,→,C,←,B,↓,C,B,A,A,A
UNLOCK CANYON STAGE:
2P: Hold A, B, +C
1P: C,C,C,A,↑,←,→,↓,B,C,C,C,↓,↓,A,B,C,B,A
Once you enter the codes, each feature is permanently (and irreversibly) saved to the PCB.
1.2 On Screen Display:
For 1P:
Upper left: Score on top, Life gauge directly underneath. To the right of this is the bomb stock.
Bottom left: item counter
Mirror all positions for 2P.
1.2.1 Life Gauge
Your life gauge decreases by .5 when you touch an enemy in Normal mode. It decreases by 1 if you hit a bullet in any mode. Every time it decreases by 1, you lose 30% of your item counter.
1.3Controls
Tap A: Shot (left)
Hold A: Laser (left)
Tap B: Shot (right)
Hold B: Laser (right)
Hold A+B: Lock-shot
C: Bomb
1.4 Enemy type
One of Deathsmiles' most important features to understand is that killing different enemies with the shot, laser, or lock-shot will result in a different amount of items produced in their wake. Whether you are in normal, power-up, or fever mode can also make a difference.
This full chart, adopted and translated from this Japanese page, shows the best shot type to use on each enemy:
1.5 Characters
: Her lock-shot develops in a large ring around her. Her option shoots a crescent projectile when in Laser mode. Her option moves when tapping Shot, but is fixed when holding Laser. A balanced character overall.
Casper: Her lock-shot develops in a large ring around her. Her option shoots a cutter in a boomerang-esque pattern when tapping shot. Her option moves when holding Laser, but is fixed when tapping Shot. Stronger than Windia, but also slower in her Laser mode.
Follett: Her lock-shot develops around her option, locking onto enemies in front of Follett. Her option shoots a wide shot when tapping shot. Her option moves when tapping Shot, but is fixed when holding Laser. Her main strength is her very strong lock-shot that is the easiest to lock-on among all the characters, with a wide firing range.
Rosa: The lock-shot develops around her option, locking onto enemies behind Rosa. Her option shoots a homing rose cluster when holding Laser. Her option moves when holding Laser, but is fixed when tapping Shot. The strongest character, her weakness is her slower speed and the inability to lock-on to enemies in front of her.
1.5.1 Character speed
The speed in ( ) is when in power-up mode.
WINDIA CASPER FOLLETT ROSA
Shot mode 46(62) 52(68) 46(62) 36(52)
Laser mode 28(25) 18(15) 24(21) 32(29)
Auto-lock mode 32(27) 42(37) 26(21) 18(13)
2.0Stages
MAP TOP : EX (Canyon ) Castle
MAP MIDDLE: A-2 (Graveyard) B-2 (Swamp) C-2 (Volcano)
MAP BOTTOM: A-1 (Harbor Town) B-1 (Forest) C-1 (Lakeside)
The letters (A, B, C) each stand for Chapters. The chapters are split in two: one half is in the Map bottom, the other half is in the Map middle. The EX (canyon) stage is not part of any chapter, while the Castle stage has two parts and is Chapter 4.
2.1 Stage select
You can choose any of the bottom 3 stages to start, then you choose any of the middle 3 stages. After this you keep alternating back and forth between bottom and middle stages until you have completed them all (you can never choose 2 middle or 2 bottom stages in a row). When all 6 are completed, you then have the option to go to the EX stage, or go directly to the Castle stage.
There are numerous possible routes, all with similar scoring potentials. This is one of the game's most admirable traits -- a great variety in stage paths without sacrificing game balance.
2.2 Stage Rank Select
You can choose Rank 1, 2 or 3 at the start of each Middle and Bottom stages. Obviously Rank 1 is the easiest and Rank 3 is the hardest. Ranks 2 and 3 increase the number of enemies, the number of bullets, the overall difficulty, and the number of boss phases. In addition, depending on the rank and stage path, different items (bomb and life replenishments) will appear within different stages [See section 4.3 for detailed info].
Ranks 1 and 2 are limited -- you can choose each only once on each level (middle or bottom) of the map. In other words it's impossible to play all 6 stages all in Rank 1 or all in Rank 2. You can do a max of 2 stages in rank 1 and 2 in rank 2, the other two must be in rank 3. There is no limit to the amount of times you can choose Rank 3.
2.3 Death mode
When you choose rank 3 five times, you enter Death Mode. In Death Mode suicide bullets are fired back at you from each enemy you destroy. These bullets are small, star-shaped, and are absorbable by your option. Once you enter Death Mode, you cannot go back, even if you select Rank 1 or Rank 2 for the sixth stage.
Every bullet absorbed in Death mode is worth 100 points. The +Value (see Section 4.6) is also added to each bullet.
If you choose every stage in rank 3 and go to the EX stage before the Castle stage, then the Castle stage will be at the highest possible rank in the game, called Death Mode Level 2.
2.4 ALL-clear bonus
Your end bonus is calculated by the following equations:
Life bonus: (130 x Remaining lives) x 50,000pts
Bomb Bonus: Remaining bombs x 1,000,000 pts.
Item Bonus: Item counter total x 10,000 points
The totals of each are added together for your total end bonus.
3.0Power-Up mode
To enter Power-up mode, you have to press A+B when your item counter maxes out at 1000. When in this mode, your attack and option strength are increased, and you are only damaged by bullets, so you are free to move through any enemies on screen. Your item counter counts down from 1000 to zero when in this mode. When it hits zero, you revert back to the normal playing mode.
The rate of the item counter's decline depends on whether you are in the stage or in a boss fight, and whether or not you press any attack button. Here are full the details:
The conditions can overlap. In the case of the Lock-shot, they always overlap. The lock-shot by itself is -1 for every 2 frames, but since
you have to be pressing A and B to be in lock-shot mode, and each of these also reduces the counter by -1 every 2 frames, lock-shot mode
effectively has a decrease rate of -3 every 2 frames.
Additionally, if you bomb during a boss fight, the two values are added together ([-1 for every 2 frames] + [-4 for every 1 frame]).
3.1 Fever mode
Once you max your +Value (see Section 4.5) at +10,000, you enter what is called "Fever mode". All enemies produce High Crowns when destroyed in this mode, though you still need to use the right attack type on certain enemies to maximize the amount of High Crowns produced.
4.0Items
4.1 Life replenishment items
Small (Prine a la mode) : fills up .5 of one life block. Gives a bonus of 100,000 pts.
Medium (Strawberry Parfeit): fills up 1 full life block. Gives a bonus of 200,000pts.
Large (Decoration Cake): Fills up 2 full life blocks. Gives a bonus of 500,000pts.
The Decoration Cake is only available during the Chapter 4 final boss fight.
4.2 Bomb (Magic) item
The Magic item adds one bomb to your stock. You can hold a maximum of 6 bombs. The bombs give no point bonus unless your bomb stock is maxed out at 6, whereupon each successive bomb is worth 300,000 pts.
4.3 Item appearance chart
*=only during Death Mode
4.4 Point items
Small (Skeleton Ring) : 100pts
Medium (Crown Tiara): 800pts, breaks into 2 Skeleton Rings when it hits the ground
Large (High Crown): 2,000pts, breaks into 2 Crown Tiaras on the first bounce on the ground, then on the second bounce these 2 Crown Tiaras will break into 4 Skeleton Rings.
The Skeleton Rings disappear in 64 frames after being stationary on the ground.
4.5 Item Counter
When you absorb any of the point items during the normal mode, they add to your item counter in the following way:
Large (High Crown): +10
Medium (Crown Tiara): +5
Small (Skeleton Ring) : +1
Additionally, every suicide bullet absorbed during Death Mode adds +1 to your item counter.
4.6 Item acquisition total (+Value)
The item acquisition total, or "+Value", is the core scoring system in the game. When you reach 1000 on the item counter in normal mode, or when you enter Power-up mode, every item absorbed adds to your +Value, which acts as a point bonus added to every item you absorb. It is displayed next to your character as it increases. The maximum +Value is +10,000, which is colored a bright orange. When you reach this, you enter "Fever mode".
4.6.1 Normal mode
High Crown +10
Crown Tiara +5
Skeleton Ring +1
As the values clearly show, it is more beneficial to keep absorbing High Crowns here, rather than have them break.
Each suicide bullet absorbed in Death Mode also adds +1 to your +Value. It is possible to max out the +Value without ever entering Power-up mode, simply by playing through the EX and Castle stages in full max 1000 Normal mode. You are then able to ride this +10,000 bonus through to the end (as long as you don't die, as the +Value is reset when you die) for larger gains than can be had from entering Power-up mode. This is the strategy the pros use for their 500-600mil top scores.
4.6.2 Power-Up mode
In power-up mode all the items are equal, so a High crown will add the same to your counter as a Skeleton Ring. What matters is the +Value. The higher it is, the higher the value each item will add to your +Value. Here are the details:
When +Value is 0~ +1
+100~ +2
+200~ +4
+500~ +8
+1000~ +12
+2000~ +16
+5000~ +20
Thus, unlike in the normal mode, in Power-up mode it is more beneficial to let the High crowns break into 2, and again into 4, as even at the lowest +Value the High Crown will add +1 but four Skeleton Rings will add +4. At +5000 and beyond the difference is even more pronounced: only +20 for a high crown, but +80 for four Skeleton Rings.
5.0 Extends
Point-based extends are given at 20mil and 45mil points. Each one adds an extra life block. There are no other extends in the game, only the life replenishment items that can fill up your life blocks.