power up

ESP Ra.De. uses a quite unusual cycling system to provide you with items:
For destroying medium size and bigger targets you will be rewarded with tons of items. As long as your main weapon is not at full power, the type of items you receive are power-ups. Once you reached your full strength, the type changes to score items. A counter, displayed in the upper left corner adds the number of score items collected. If you reach 200, the counting stops. If your current bomber energy is not at maximum, the counter starts running back to 0 now. Within this short time range (a few seconds) the item type changes again. Now you can obtain (bomber) energy items. Collect as many of them you can, to refill your bomber stock. Once the counter reaches 0, the item type changes back to score items and a new cycle begins. This time the maximum is 300, until your chance to upgrade your bomber energy returns. In the 3rd it is 400, and so on.

If you loose a life, your current counter value stays, but you have to collect power-up items until you reach maximum strength again. After that you will be allowed to continue running for scores.

The basic strategy to gain impressive scores:

1. Shoot targets with the [B] button (piercing gun)
2. Start shooting at the same target with the [A] button (main gun)
3. collect items
4. Shoot other targets until your multiplier runs out.

How the multiplier works:

Once the bullets of your piercing gun reach a target, they turn into some kind of bubble-rings. After destroying that target with your main gun, the remaining rings build up your multiplier.

multiplier = remaining bubbles + 1

The maximum of rings you can create with 1 [B] button shot depend on the value of something I call the 'bubble meter' :
It is located in the left corner at the bottom of the screen and starts with a value of 7. That gives you a possible multiplier maximum of x8. Whenever you upgrade your strength 1 level (by collecting 'P' items), you will rise 2 steps on the bubble meter. At level 4 you are at a maximum of 15 bubbles ( = x16)

As you can imagine, this counter lasts for a few seconds only. I guess it's duration depends on the size of the destroyed enemy (the bigger, the longer). As long it is active, all upcoming scores get calculated with it - even the score items you collect from the destroyed enemy: 100 points x multiplier

A helpful strategy is to ignore small targets first, and to go for a bigger one instead. Once you destroyed it, collect the items and go immediately back to the small enemies, and shoot as many of them possible before your counter runs out. Use the 'counter display' to get a feeling for the time you have left.
(see 'secrets' section on how to activate the 'counter display' )

Charging the smart-bomb turns all enemy bullets within your energy circle into items. You can use this as a trick after getting hit to restore your old strength in no time.

This works best in a boss situation:

1. Hold [C] button to charge your smart-bomb
2. Catch as many enemy bullets possible

Don't hassle running into them - you are invincible now !
Once you can see orange score items, you are at full strength again.

4. Move your character to the left or to the right to aim it away from the boss
3. Release the [C] button to unload it

If you release the bomb directly to the boss to destroy him, you won't get a multiplier, which means missing a great number of points.