DeathSmiles
Hints and Tips:
----------------
Submitted by: David K.
-= Start with the right mode =-
The standalone 2016 Steam release "Deathsmiles" is separate from the later
"Deathsmiles I・II" collection. The standalone release contains six versions: Normal,
Arcade, Version 1.1, Mega Black Label Normal, Mega Black Label Arcade, and Mega Black
Label Version 1.1.
For a first clear, use Normal. It keeps the higher-resolution presentation and
removes the Arcade restriction on how often the easier stage ranks may be selected.
Pick Rosa if you want the simplest survival start. Her high damage shortens dangerous
boss phases, and her speed changes less sharply between Shot and Laser than Casper's.
* Stay on Level 1 for unfamiliar stages and raise the rank only where you have a
reason to do so.
* Skip Gorge on early one-credit attempts. Entering the Extra route adds revenge
bullets and makes the final stretch much harder.
* Use Training before a serious run. Practice the exact stage and resource state that
is costing you lives instead of credit-feeding the whole game.
* Spend bombs before taking a full hit. A bomb clears bullets and makes you
temporarily invincible; unused bombs do nothing for you after a mistake.
* Learn enough scoring to reach the two standard extends. In the original Normal and
Arcade rules, life-bar extends are awarded at 20,000,000 and 45,000,000 points.
-= The heart is the hitbox =-
The visible character sprite is much larger than the part that can actually be hit.
Aim gaps around the small glowing heart at the center of the character, not around
the edge of the artwork. Enemy bullets normally remove one full life bar. Direct
contact with ordinary enemies removes half a bar.
Terrain blocks movement and most shots, but touching scenery does not damage you. If
scrolling terrain squeezes you, the game pushes you out rather than treating the wall
as a lethal collision.
-= Power Up is also a survival tool =-
In the original Normal and Arcade rules, fill the Item Counter to 1000, then hold
Left Shot + Right Shot to enter Power Up. Activation clears the bullets already on
screen, raises damage, increases movement speed, and protects you from ordinary
enemy-contact damage. Bullets can still hurt you, and the contact protection does not
apply to bosses.
You do not have to save Power Up only for score routes. If a dense section is about
to collapse, the activation clear and higher damage can rescue the run. The counter
drains while powered up; reaching zero ends Power Up and clears the screen again.
Controls and Core Combat:
-------------------------
-= Left, right, Shot, Laser, and Lock Shot =-
Deathsmiles is built around attacking in both horizontal directions. These arcade
labels still describe the actions even when your controller uses different buttons.
* Tap Left Shot to fire left in Shot mode.
* Hold Left Shot to fire left in Laser mode.
* Tap Right Shot to fire right in Shot mode.
* Hold Right Shot to fire right in Laser mode.
* Hold Left Shot + Right Shot to open the Lock Shot area. Lock Shot drains the Item
Counter while held. In Normal, Arcade, MBL Normal, and MBL Arcade, the same held
input activates Power Up once its counter threshold is met. Version 1.1 modes use a
separate Power Up input.
* Use Bomb to erase enemy bullets, damage enemies, and gain temporary invincibility.
Holding a direction button for Laser slows the Angel and gives finer movement for
precise dodging. Turbo/autofire inputs count as repeated Shot taps rather than Laser,
so use the actual held Shot input when you need slower movement or Laser behavior.
-= Your familiar is part of the weapon =-
The familiar adds damage and, more importantly, can absorb the yellow revenge bullets
that appear in Death Mode and the harder Black Label rules. Those bullets damage the
Angel like normal enemy fire, but the familiar cancels them. In the original rules,
each absorbed revenge bullet also adds +1 to the Item Counter.
Familiar movement changes by character:
* Windia and Follett move their familiars while using Shot and hold them in place
while using Laser.
* Casper and Rosa hold their familiars in place while using Shot and move them while
using Laser.
* Sakura follows the Windia/Follett pattern and has two familiars, letting her
intercept revenge bullets across more of the screen.
In Version 1.1, move the familiar with the right stick on a controller. Keyboard and
arcade-stick layouts can bind the separate "Familiar Movement" action.
Characters:
-----------
-= Windia =-
Windia is the balanced baseline. Her Lock Shot creates a large ring around her, and
her familiar moves in Shot mode but stays fixed in Laser. Her moderate movement and
centered lock area make stage routing easier to learn than Casper's sharp speed shift
or Rosa's rear-centered Lock Shot.
-= Casper =-
Casper is fast in Shot mode and becomes very slow while holding Laser. Her familiar
is fixed during Shot and moves during Laser. Her boomerang-like familiar projectiles
can keep damaging a target after they are released, so changing firing mode at the
moment an enemy dies can still alter the item drop that the kill produces.
-= Follett =-
Follett's Lock Shot is centered around her familiar and covers a broad area in front
of her. Her familiar moves with Shot and locks in place with Laser. The wide lock
area acquires targets without forcing Follett directly beside them.
-= Rosa =-
Rosa has the highest raw damage in the original cast, but she moves more slowly
overall. Her familiar is fixed during Shot and follows during Laser. Her Lock Shot
area is centered around the familiar behind her, so it punishes enemies at the rear
more naturally than targets directly in front.
-= Sakura - Mega Black Label only =-
Sakura is playable only in Mega Black Label versions of the standalone Steam release.
She uses two familiars. They follow her during Shot and lock during Laser, and their
rear positioning lets her cover both directions or concentrate fire. The extra
familiar also makes revenge-bullet interception easier.
Modes and Difficulty:
---------------------
-= Normal and Arcade =-
Normal is the high-resolution console-style version and is the cleanest starting
point. Arcade preserves the original arcade presentation and its rank restrictions.
In Arcade, Level 1 and Level 2 cannot be selected freely for every stage; the game
forces you to use Level 3 enough times to preserve the original rank planning.
The first six stages alternate between a Verse 1 stage and a Verse 2 stage. You
choose which unused stage from the required row to play next, then choose its Level
1, 2, or 3 rank. After all six, you may take an Extra route before Hades' Castle.
-= Death Mode and revenge bullets =-
Choosing Level 3 five times activates Death Mode. Destroyed enemies begin firing
yellow revenge bullets toward you. The familiar can absorb them, so intercept the
stream with the familiar instead of trying to dodge every bullet with the Angel.
Gorge also raises the Death Mode pressure. A first-clear route should normally skip
Gorge unless you have deliberately practiced the revenge-bullet patterns.
Outside Score Attack, open Options -> Game Config -> "Suicide Bullets" and set it to
"Off" if you want to learn stage routes without revenge bullets. Score Attack forces
the default game settings, so this option cannot be used for leaderboard runs.
-= Version 1.1 =-
Version 1.1 changes both control and scoring. On a controller, use the right stick to
move the familiar directly. Keyboard and arcade-stick layouts can bind the separate
"Familiar Movement" action instead. A+B remains Lock Shot; Power Up uses its own
mapped input and can be triggered once the Item Counter reaches 100. Version 1.1 also
gives one bomb per life instead of the three used by Normal and Arcade. The lower
bomb stock, direct familiar control, and earlier Power Up make its routes play
differently from Normal and Arcade.
-= Mega Black Label =-
Mega Black Label adds Sakura, the Ice Palace Extra stage, Level 999, a persistent
Overall Counter, and a different scoring curve. In MBL Normal and Arcade, Power Up
may be started at 500; reaching 1000 still gives the stronger full-counter state.
Level 999 fills the screen with far more bullets than Level 3 and is part of the
route to the hidden true final boss.
Stage Routing and Survival:
---------------------------
-= Stage map =-
The six Chapter/Verse stages are:
* A-1 - Port Town
* B-1 - Forest of the Lost
* C-1 - Lake Shore
* A-2 - Graveyard
* B-2 - Swamp Wastes
* C-2 - Volcano
The optional late stages are Gorge, plus Ice Palace in Mega Black Label. Hades'
Castle is the final stage.
-= A practical first 1CC route for Normal =-
For a first Normal-mode clear, this route keeps most stages easy while using Volcano
for extend scoring:
1. Play C-1 Lake Shore at Level 1.
2. Play C-2 Volcano at Level 3.
3. Play B-1 Forest of the Lost at Level 1.
4. Play A-2 Graveyard at Level 1.
5. Play A-1 Port Town at Level 1.
6. Play B-2 Swamp Wastes at Level 1, or Level 2 if you need its Chapter 3 life item.
7. Skip Gorge and enter Hades' Castle.
The early Level 3 Volcano gives enough enemies and scoring potential to help push
toward the 20 million and 45 million extends, while the rest of the route keeps rank
low. If Volcano is your weak stage, move the high-rank scoring attempt to a stage you
can already clear consistently; survival is worth more than a theoretical extend you
never live long enough to collect.
-= Life and bomb pickups worth routing around =-
The chapter in which a stage is played changes some pickups. The standard Normal and
Arcade life and bomb placements worth remembering are:
* A-1 Port Town, Chapter 3, Level 3: the Small Cyclops drops two Small Life-ups, but
only after Death Mode is active.
* A-2 Graveyard, Chapter 2, Level 3: destroy the Small Cyclops for a Small Life-up.
* A-2 Graveyard, Chapter 3, Level 3: the Small Cyclops drops a Bomb.
* B-2 Swamp Wastes, Chapter 2 or 3, Level 2: destroy the Old Car for a Small Life-up.
* B-2 Swamp Wastes, Chapter 2 or 3, Level 3: the Old Car drops a Bomb instead.
* C-2 Volcano, Chapter 2, Level 3: destroy the Small Cyclops for a Small Life-up.
* C-2 Volcano, Chapter 3, Level 3: the Small Cyclops drops a Medium Life-up.
* Gorge: the Beast Dog midboss drops a Bomb.
* Hades' Castle: defeat Jitterbug without using a bomb during his fight to receive a
Large Life-up.
A Small Life-up restores half a bar, a Medium Life-up restores one bar, and a Large
Life-up restores two bars. Defeating Jitterbug without bombing can therefore refill
two full bars immediately before Tyrannosatan.
Scoring and Counter System:
---------------------------
-= Point items and the Item Counter =-
Normal scoring starts with three item types:
* Skeleton Ring: 100 points and +1 Item Counter.
* Crown Tiara: 800 points and +5 Item Counter.
* High Crown: 2,000 points and +10 Item Counter.
A High Crown that hits the ground splits into two Crown Tiaras. Each Crown Tiara can
split again into two Skeleton Rings. Outside Power Up, pick valuable items up before
they break if your immediate goal is filling the Item Counter quickly.
For many enemies, the firing mode held at the kill determines both the item type and
the number of drops. Small enemies often prefer Shot and large durable enemies often
prefer Laser, but some targets favor Lock Shot or break the rule. Use Training to
learn the exceptions that matter in your scoring route.
-= Power Up, +Value, and Fever =-
At 1000 Item Counter in original Normal and Arcade, hold both Shot directions to
activate Power Up. During Power Up:
* Enemy deaths release many more point items.
* Your attacks become stronger.
* Ordinary enemy contact no longer damages you.
* The Item Counter drains toward zero.
Power Up activation converts the enemy bullets already on screen into point items.
Bombing while powered up drains the Item Counter extremely fast, so use that only as
an emergency save or as part of a deliberately timed recharge.
Once the Item Counter reaches 1000, point pickups also build the separate +Value
counter. It tops out at 10,000; at that maximum, the score bonus on each point item
is +10,000 and enemies produce High Crowns. Losing a full life bar cuts the Item
Counter by about 30% and resets +Value, so a scoring run can lose far more than
health from one bullet.
During Power Up, item quantity matters more than item size. Letting High Crowns hit
the ground and split into multiple smaller items can produce more total bonus awards
than grabbing the High Crown immediately. Outside Power Up, collect the High Crown
early; during a scoring Power Up, let safe drops split before sweeping them up.
-= Recharge instead of waiting for another full stage =-
Advanced routes deliberately finish a Power Up near a dense item burst. If the Power
Up counter reaches zero just as a large cluster of High Crown items is on screen,
collect the cluster after Power Up ends to refill the Item Counter rapidly and start
another Power Up much sooner.
Practice the recharge timing before depending on it in a full run. If the timing is
wrong you either collect the High Crowns before the counter reaches zero or let them
break too far and lose the rapid refill.
-= Mega Black Label scoring changes =-
Mega Black Label adds a persistent Overall Counter that can rise to 100,000. Original
Normal and Arcade instead use the separate +Value counter, which tops out at 10,000.
The MBL Overall Counter does not simply reset to zero when Power Up ends, although
deaths reduce it. Powering up at 500-999 is allowed, but starting from 1000 gives a
longer Power Up when you have room to build the Item Counter first.
Training, Replays, and Score Attack:
------------------------------------
-= Training =-
The 2016 Steam version includes stage-select Training with configurable resources.
Use it to reproduce the part of a run that fails instead of replaying the opening
stages every time.
Training can select stages and adjust resources, but it does not provide save states
or direct boss-select checkpoints. Start from the stage entrance and repeat the
approach to the pattern that is costing the run.
Training also has a "Difficulty" field separate from the stage Level. "No Miss"
models reaching the selected practice point without a prior death, while "Default"
models the state after a miss. Use "No Miss" when practicing a no-miss score or
Bloody Jitterbug route because the carried rank can be harder.
-= Replays and Score Attack =-
The Steam release includes replay viewing and online leaderboards. High-scoring
replays can be downloaded from the leaderboard, and replay playback can be slowed as
far as 1/16 speed. Use that for familiar placement, Power Up timing, and movement
through dense boss patterns.
Use Score Attack when you want a run submitted to the Steam leaderboards. Normal
"Play" runs are for practice and clearing without the leaderboard requirement.
Leaderboard views are split by game version, character, and EX-stage status. If a
Score Attack result seems missing, select the same version and character you used,
then check the matching "EX On" or "EX Off" board. The leaderboard view can open on
the wrong EX category for your run.
Local Co-op:
------------
-= Two players share the same run =-
The Steam release supports two-player local co-op. Remote Play Together can stream
that local mode to another player, but it does not recreate the Xbox 360 version's
native online lobby.
Connect and verify both controllers before starting the run. If both players want to
choose their Angels, bring Player 2 in at character selection rather than waiting
until the stage is already active.
Co-op adds another hitbox and another source of bullets and familiars to read, so it
is not automatically easier. Decide who handles which side of the screen and avoid
crossing through the same gaps during dense patterns.
Bosses and Endgame:
-------------------
-= Jitterbug and the no-bomb heal =-
Defeating Jitterbug without using a bomb during his fight drops a Large Life-up,
which restores two bars. If you can reliably no-bomb him, carry that recovery into
Tyrannosatan. If the no-bomb attempt is about to cost more than two bars, use a bomb
and survive; sacrificing the run for the heal gains nothing.
-= Tyrannosatan survival =-
Tyrannosatan is the end of a normal clear. Enter with as much life and bomb stock as
possible, keep firing through the bomb animation, and use bombs before patterns trap
you. A first 1CC is about finishing the credit, not preserving bombs for a score
bonus after the final boss.
-= Ending choice =-
After Tyrannosatan, the character chooses whether to return to the real world or stay
in Gilverado. The branch is decided by that final choice; you do not need a hidden
mid-game route to unlock the ordinary two endings for an Angel.
Cheats, Secrets, and GOLD:
-------------------------
-= Arcade unlock codes are not needed on Steam =-
Old arcade-board input codes exist for unlocking Follett, Rosa, and Gorge, but the
standalone Steam release already includes those unlocks. Do not waste time entering
arcade PCB strings into the PC version.
-= Mega Black Label true final boss route =-
Bloody Jitterbug is the hidden true final boss of Mega Black Label. For the MBL
Normal and Arcade route, use this sequence:
1. Select Level 999 for all six Chapter/Verse stages.
2. Clear those six stages without using a continue.
3. Enter Ice Palace, then Gorge, while preserving the Level 999 chain.
4. From Ice Palace onward, do not lose a life. A death drops a later stage back to
Level 3 and breaks the true-boss route.
5. Clear Hades' Castle and Jitterbug without dying, then defeat Tyrannosatan without
using a continue.
6. Proceed to Bloody Jitterbug when he appears.
You can take hits or deaths during the first six stages as long as you do not
game-over and continue; the no-miss requirement becomes critical from the Extra
stages onward because later stage ranks depend on preserving Level 999.
Practice Ice Palace, Gorge, and Hades' Castle separately before attempting the full
Level 999 chain.
Mega Black Label Version 1.1 uses a different trigger. For a dependable route, reach
and defeat Tyrannosatan without using a continue. You do not need the all-Level-999
and no-miss Extra-stage chain used by MBL Normal and Arcade.
Technical Issues:
-----------------
-= Keyboard reaches the arcade screen but Start seems dead =-
The default keyboard Start input in the standalone Steam port is "1". If the menus
work but the arcade "PRESS START" screen appears to ignore the keyboard, press 1
before assuming the game has frozen.
-= Controller is ignored or one pad controls both players =-
Use XInput for the most reliable controller support. DirectInput devices are not
fully supported, and presenting one physical controller through both DirectInput and
an XInput wrapper can make the game see duplicate players.
* Prefer a native XInput mode or Steam Input mapping.
* Disable duplicate controller wrappers before launching.
* If a DirectInput stick is not accepted, map it to keyboard/XInput through one
compatibility layer rather than stacking multiple wrappers.
* If one controller moves both Player 1 and Player 2, check Windows and Steam for two
logical devices created from the same physical stick.
-= Slowdown is often intentional =-
Deathsmiles contains deliberate CAVE slowdown during heavy bullet and effect loads.
Do not diagnose every slow section as a performance problem. The game logic targets
60 FPS, so confirm that the frame rate is stable before changing settings.
The standalone release offers windowed and fullscreen display modes but no separate
arbitrary render-resolution selector. Normal uses the cleaner high-resolution assets;
Arcade intentionally preserves the low-resolution arcade look.
-= Replay playback drifts or behaves incorrectly =-
If a replay desynchronizes, skips expected behavior, or no longer matches the
recorded run, check performance during recording first. Dropped frames while the run
is recorded can corrupt replay timing. Stabilize the game at 60 FPS and make a fresh
recording before treating the replay file itself as the primary fault.
Solutions:
----------
-= 1. Yellow star bullets suddenly appear after every kill =-
1. Recognize them as Death Mode revenge bullets, not a random difficulty bug.
2. Stop trying to dodge every star with the Angel.
3. Move the familiar through the revenge bullets so it absorbs them.
4. On the next run, choose Level 3 fewer than five times if you do not want Death
Mode during the six main stages.
5. Skip Gorge on survival runs, because the Extra route raises the revenge-bullet
pressure again.
-= 2. I cannot start the game with the keyboard =-
1. Reach the arcade-style "PRESS START" screen.
2. Press the number key 1 for Player 1 Start.
3. If the game still does not respond, return to the input options and verify that
the keyboard profile is active before adding controller software.
-= 3. Power Up will not activate =-
1. Check the mode you selected.
2. In original Normal and Arcade, raise the Item Counter to 1000.
3. In Mega Black Label Normal and Arcade, reach at least 500.
4. In Version 1.1 variants, reach at least 100.
5. In Normal, Arcade, MBL Normal, and MBL Arcade, hold both Shot inputs together.
6. In Version 1.1 variants, press the mapped Power Up input instead; A+B remains Lock
Shot.
-= 4. Jitterbug does not drop the large heal =-
1. Enter the Jitterbug fight with enough life to survive without a bomb.
2. Do not use a bomb at any point during that boss fight.
3. Defeat Jitterbug.
4. Collect the Large Life-up before moving on; it restores two life bars.
-= 5. My score route takes too long to recharge Power Up =-
1. Learn which enemies in that stage give their best item drop from Shot, Laser, or
Lock Shot.
2. Reach 1000 before the dense scoring section.
3. Activate Power Up where many enemies or durable targets are about to appear.
4. During Power Up, let safe High Crowns break into multiple smaller items so every
split pickup contributes separately to +Value; in MBL, the same item volume also
builds the Overall Counter.
5. Near the end of Power Up, leave a dense High Crown burst uncollected until the
Item Counter reaches zero.
6. Sweep the stored items immediately after Power Up ends to refill toward 1000.
-= 6. My Score Attack result is missing from the leaderboard =-
1. Confirm that the run was started through Score Attack rather than normal Play.
2. Open the leaderboard for the same game version and character used in the run.
3. Switch the EX filter to match the run. Use "EX Off" if you skipped the Extra
stage; use "EX On" for a run classified with Extra-stage play.
4. Check the alternate EX filter before treating the score as lost, because the
leaderboard view may open on the other category.
Reference:
----------
-= Power Up thresholds =-
* Normal and Arcade: 1000 Item Counter.
* Mega Black Label Normal and Arcade: 500 Item Counter minimum; 1000 gives the full
counter start.
* Version 1.1 and Mega Black Label Version 1.1: 100 Item Counter minimum; activate it
with the mapped Power Up input rather than A+B.
-= Standard point items =-
* Skeleton Ring: 100 points; +1 Item Counter.
* Crown Tiara: 800 points; +5 Item Counter.
* High Crown: 2,000 points; +10 Item Counter.
* Small Life-up: restores 0.5 life bar.
* Medium Life-up: restores 1 life bar.
* Large Life-up: restores 2 life bars.
* Magic: adds one bomb; at six bombs, another Magic item is worth 300,000 points
instead.
-= First-clear priorities =-
* Mode: Normal.
* Character: Rosa for a high-damage survival-oriented start.
* Extra route: skip Gorge until revenge bullets are comfortable.
* Score goal: reach the 20 million and 45 million life extends.
* Final-stage goal: no-bomb Jitterbug only when the two-bar reward is realistically
safer than bombing.
* Practice: use Training for the exact stage and use downloaded replays for movement
and timing.
 |
|
|
CheatBook DataBase 2026 is a freeware cheat code tracker that makes hints, tips, tricks
and cheats (for PC Cheats, Walkthroughs, PSP, Sega, iPhone, Wii U, Playstation, Playstation
2, XBox, Playstation 3, Nintendo 64, DVD, Gameboy Advance, Gameboy Color,
N-Gage, Nintendo DS, gamecube, XBox 360, Dreamcast, Super Nintendo) easily
accessible from one central location. (Release date January 10, 2026)
- All Cheats and Codes inside from the first CHEATBOOK January 1998 until today.
More Infos |
| | |
|
