>>50028021
Any gimmick that makes stages more involved
PCB & IN's points for lives is a decent blueprint but you don't need to hardcore commit to PoC and even then it'll be for 1 extend
The same idea in MS was arguably better before PoC despite the fact it screws what was already the weakest character
DDC's & FW's are probably my favorite, it's the right balance between involved, engaging, but not all encompassing. FW's isn't as obvious but PoC to gather meter sauce faster as well as the combo system are all neat. LoLK's is pretty good too. UFO & WBaWC to a lesser extent are a bit much for me.
UM & FW's unlockable card/stones are a humble attempt at creating a sense of growth but I don't think it works in an arcade game. At least when you've got everything its fun to fuck with options.
Trance in TD is a bit too restrictive for my liking as are its stages. What TD considers a speedkill that spawns another wave of enemies for more resources feels extremely strict, and Trance itself takes too long to build up, so much so that the later stages feel designed to accomodate for that when it should be the opposite.
HSiFS is the only game that uses score for extends well (as in gettting all extends isn't completely free).