I know for me and many others, shmups are a genre that we greatly admire and what to get good at, but the genre can be very intimidating. This guide should help gamers like us dip their toe in a bit easier.
What do you guys think? Any further recommendations or thoughts?
Excellent article! The writing in this one is a step above anything else I've seen published here (and thats not to say there hasn't been well written articles in the past). But I actually had to slow down and actually think about what I was reading so that I could really absorb and enjoy the words. And that's not something I usually have to or want to do when talking about video game related articles. Again, very well done.
Also I am just happy to see some new front page content. Like many of us, I found the forums through the main website and its articles. If we keep making great content like this I am sure the forum and the rest of the site will continue to thrive.
"The librarian does not rue the library, nor the curator fear the exhibits. Rather they revel in their potential. And that is the beauty of a big backlog; pure potential." - Exhuminator
Glad you've enjoyed it! I haven't forgotten about the content, but even the editing, links, and graphics for something like this one takes a good time commitment.
But I'm hoping to update some of the old stuff and also get some other submissions. Obviously, it might not be as frequent as it used to be pre-kids, but I want to keep the stuff flowing over time
This is a fantastic article. I was very happy to see that the guide goes far beyond just recommending games, and it gives a good glimpse as to what makes these games so exciting to the diehard fans.
An absolutely GREAT list of recommended titles. Such a variety that, no matter what shmup you may have your eyes set on, one of these will strongly enhance your skills for that game. Batsugun and Blue Wish are both very accessible, but entirely different games that will build skills for their more hardcore kin.
This article has certainly rekindled my shmup fires, and I hope it does that, or perhaps even lights them for the first time, for others.
A very nice article. The only complaint I have is personal: for my taste it is too wordy with language embellishments, I prefer text to be more direct and to the point, particularly in an article that is so in-depth. But in your defence, I think most people actually prefer the article with the embellishments.
I have to try that "Shooting Age" game, which made me laugh because I often wonder how much more I will suck even more at challenging games when I'm older and my reflexes are declining.
I was expecting to see Warning Forever (which quite a good introductory game to the genre) mentioned in the Kenta Cho section due to the graphical similarities. I was a bit sad to not see it there, but there are so many other doujin freeware suggestions, like Genetos, that not including one is not really something to complain about. Then I got to the end and Warning Forever is mentioned in the multiplayer section.
Also really liked the mention of the Ikaruga double play video, which I had seen before. An impressive feat.
This article is fantastic, it gives everything almost anyone could think of in a shoot em up! It covered the old school genesis & to more newer ones 360.
