shmups are generally hard and take a lot of practice and time. Lately I've been on a roll and am having fun blasting through some retro stuff in one go if possible, but that can be a hard thing to pull off in a lot of cases with older games.
What 8/16bit shmups do you think are doable for completing the first or second time through? Even going in blind and inexperienced with them.
Granted I would like some quality recommendations still, nothing that sucks. Whether it be visually, musically, or whatnot, good shmups that might be on the easier side to knock out and experience quicker than the norm.
Some easy ones that come to mind for me:
Thunder Force 3
Thunder Spirits (SNES)
Elemental Master
Been awhile on MUSHA but I'm feeling like that one isn't too tough on me either.
I've beaten Thunder Force 4, Super-Type, Gradius 3 (and most of this series except that damn 5), and some others here and there. These are a little tougher, so maybe a bit higher than the bar I'm looking for. Though these are some of the best.