https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dBbYnrmqPI&ab_channel=Gellot

Theres always some opening. There is an easier way than this video is showing where you dash to where there is no red thread. I guess they were just showing off by making that final position instead. I usually do Top Left, hover down, boost straight right and it works easier.

To get better you could also disable Prevasion. Prevasion normally gives you invincibility as long as you have lightning meter and arent using flashfield (main series), or have bullets to spend (Copen). Prevasion is the training wheels setting.

Score is calculated by a multiplier every time you defeat an enemy without landing on the ground (boosting into the ground does not count as landing). Using a super move automatically banks all your score, and so do checkpoints. A perfect run would be max enemy combo without touching the ground, no checkpoints (so you dont bank the points early), no damage (on fearless), and ending a boss with a super move so you cash in the points only at the last second

Much appreciated, I'd actually been having a fair bit of fun bouncing off of things but didnt realize it added to my score. So far I've made it up as high as a B on most levels. having a good time, but realized I needed to learn the mechanics better.

These devs made Megaman Zero, ZX, 9, 10. So the similarities are there.

On a first run you dont really have to focus on the score, but it does become the focus on replays.

In order to get S+ in these games you have to spend time grinding money in order to get the skill that disables prevasion, gimps your health and massively increases your kudos. It's one of my most hated things about these games because it makes you think you suck ass when you just don't have the required skill.

And yeah the base gameplay is staying aerial by refunding your dash (sorry, 'bullits') with bounces, and killing as many enemies as possible without landing, and doing so fairly quickly. It's very satisfying but at points it definitely feels like the game is screwing you over just a little too much

i got an S+ with out that. its possible. u literally gotta never get hit tho.

i am far from a perfect player but everything i can tell you in my experiences with scorefagging:
make use of the game's boss rush to practice the stages and bosses separately (just note that it has a distinct, stronger version of Demerzel)
perfecting the bosses is contingent on memorization and foresight, especially their desperation skills - in my experience perfecting just one level can take upwards of an hour or two, since you can't close the game and start at the boss you're on when you start it up again figuring the bosses and the levels out at the same time became too much headache at least for me.
the jist of perfecting stages is don't touch checkpoints, don't take damage at all, carry a combo throughout the entire level unless you have to land on your feet to progress, and use twin shred to finish every boss off, you can't get S+ ranks otherwise. fearless kudos also makes scoring easier

There is one trick to make it easier, and its using the boss skills to finish off enemies when they are low on health. Doing it that way earns you slightly more points, but they make a difference.

The green sawblades especially help with this.