First loop with the original ship and the easiest ship.
- Type A (left): Missile/Double/Laser (OG ship)
- Type D (right): 2-Way/Tailgun/Ripple
I first learnt the game with Type D, more beginner-friendly thanks to its twin missiles and wide/rear shots, but ultimately had more fun with Type A, particularly during the first stages (which also led to several deaths after flailing around with the laser like a maniac XD). Destroying stuff behind obstacles with the laser is just so fun.
The Gradius Syndrome was tough during my first playthroughs (save states or credit-feeding are recommended in order not to repeat the first stages too much when learning the game) but I don't mind it anymore, except for 2 or 3 nasty checkpoints (I don't think I ever recovered from them ^^). But generally speaking recoveries are reasonable, this is not Gradius III ^^
As for scoring, the milking spots and infinite loops makes it kinda pointless, but going for some extra destruction is always fun, particularly important during the first stages for replayability. There are replays out there getting 150k+ points in stage 1 (spawning lots of dragons). I may come back at some point and try a 2-ALL (or just a second loop clear). 2-1 with extra dragons and 2-4 with more active volcanoes are pretty appealing.
