I'm not as versed as I'd like to be in the amount of shmups out there to play. I've basically missed out on a lot of the highly regarded titles... Like practically every Raizing and most Cave games... But whatever. Here goes...
Chrish Top Ten List:1. IkarugaI'm gonna be way over dramatic because I'm a 'frothing' fanatic of this game, in the camp believing Ikaruga to be a work of art. The chapters and bosses are brilliantly designed in utilizing the polarity system and chain scoring. It's a game of precision and strategy that must be played and replayed again. And it's a rewarding experience for those that persevere, as sections that once looked near impossible suddenly become doable, and you're soon showing off your skills to your buddy's absolute amazement. Then there's the artsy yin-yang stuff with it too. Balanced all Zen like, with subtle beauty and harmony.
2. Space MegaforceSuper Blazing Lazers! It's been a long while since I played this, but I put a lot of time into it back in its day (more than any shmup, until Ikaruga came along). So my ranking it this high is largely due to nostalgia. It's long and on the easy side, and I never played it for score. I just really liked the game's presentation... Wide variety of weaponry, the R button use, never a shortage of power-up & point capsules dancing around, great 'mode 7' effects, a beautiful Soundtrack, and goofy sounding muffled voices.
3. Giga WingGraphics are mighty bland...but game play is sharp. Love the reflect...using it at the right times to turn a stream of enemy bullets into a sea of medals. Very satisfying. Also love the gloomy atmosphere, "...embarking on a mission to destroy the war-mongering Evil Medallion". And the craziness of racking up 14-digit scores. Unfortunately, I can only make it to penultimate boss, and that's likely as good as I'll ever get.
4. Tengai (Sengoku Blade)Gunbird turned sideways. The first (and still only) Psikyo game I've 1cc'ed... 1st loop at least...

I did it at a little truck stop that inexplicably had the game in working condition, amongst the half-broken generic driving, light gun, claw machines, and whatever other quarter munching filler machines. So no one saw or cared of the feat... Oh well. The 1cc is good enough cause to put the game in my top4.
5. Mars MatrixLove the depth of the 'Gravity Hole' system, and its 1-button-does-everything control scheme. It's an upgrade to Giga Wing's reflect in that there's much more variance in using it. Very strategic. However, MM is also very harsh; not just the insane enemy firepower, but in its scoring system. You need to rack up big chains early to have any hope of achieving a good final score, and it is indeed quite difficult to keep chains going consistently. I could chain the entirety of stage 1, but only about half the time. Still a great game though. Just watching a skilled player successfully navigate through a brutal enemy assault leaves me in awe. I've made it to the final stage myself, but 1cc still highly unlikely.
6. Blazing LazersI credit this for turning me into a shmup fan. I played many good shooters before, but never really thought much of the genre as a whole until I played this. It's like the perfect entry level shmup, remarkably addictive with its pacing; variety of weapons; Superb power-up system; vibrant colors; thematically varied levels, with many crazy things attacking you; and catchy soundtrack.
7. Gate of ThunderAs my first experience with an upgraded "Super CD" TG16 game, everything about it was stunning...Graphics, varied levels with scenery changes, rockin' music, badass sound effects, and fewer load times!
8. Under DefeatI REALLY need to play this game more... VERY pleasing visually, and the directional shooting is really neat. Made by G-Rev, huh? But has a kind of Psikyo feel to it. Makes me realize that I really need to get ahold of Zero Gunner 2 someday...
9. Gunbird 2Like this game a lot. Variable characters, methods of attack, medal chaining... But dammit! Can't get past that typical Psikyo stage 5 wall. Believe I can do it...just have to get in the mood one of these years...
10. DodonpachiOnly really played this seriously during one of the Together Retros a couple years ago...and that was enough. I saw the light.