Best Shmups to play on MAME

[Medical Dust]

Just because I don't feel like investing in this rather expensive hobby, I was hoping for some recommendations of good shmups which should play perfectly fine emulated through MAME. I'm new to the genre, but I'm willing to get my feet wet. Ultimately, what I want to know: is MAME a practical method for playing shmups?

Thank you for your time.

[puke_face]

I've never used mame, i think its made more for people wanting to build their own arcade cabinets. My favorite shumps are on the simplest consoles. Contra, Ikari Warriors, jackal, gotcha!, all on the NES. The dreamcast has quite a few good ones as well.

[otaku]

nah not just for arcades tons of people just play on pc in fact most of the arcade machines run mame through pc's tucked away in the cab. I'm not sure but may venture into this world of emulating shmups and other games on my new voodoopc with my new x arcade stick (recommend one of these for mame whether for a cab or on pc)

[toredauei]

you HAVE to play guwange, ESP.ra.de, batsugun, and armed police batrider. There are so many more but those are the absolute must plays. MAME is a beautiful thing

[crux]

I've never used mame, i think its made more for people wanting to build their own arcade cabinets. My favorite shumps are on the simplest consoles. Contra, Ikari Warriors, jackal, gotcha!, all on the NES.

Your definition of shmups needs some fine tuning. I suppose all the games you named could fit into some sub-genre of shmups (you named three run and guns and a light gun shooter), but they're certainly not what "shmup" is meant to designate as a general colloqualism.

MAME is an emulator, so the fact that many people retrofit MAME into cabs is circumstantial. Most users of MAME don't have a $300+ cab to stick their designated computer into (never mind a computer designated to MAME).

As for shmups, it's a silly question. Shmups were bown in the arcades - what else would be more ideal for playing arcade games than MAME? Some shmups can ONLY be played via MAME. Is there a particular era of shmups you were more interested in than others?

[crux]

As an aside, I get tired of seeing X-Arcades recommended (aside from their trackball - they're the only ones that make a complete trackball controller for PC). The cases are very solid and durable, but the buttons and sticks are knock-offs, yet the package is sold for a premium price tag. It goes to show what good marketing can do for a product.

[Hateshinai]

Do Don Pachi. Best vertically scrolling shoot-em-up ever, in my opinion.

[BigTinz]

Battle Garegga
Battle Bakraid
Armed Police Batrider
DonPachi
DoDonPachi
R Type Leo
Strikers 1945 1,2 & 3
Detana Twinbee
Salamander 2
Dimahoo
Esp.Rade
Outzone
Truxton
Truxton 2
Darius Gaiden
Gekirindan

[Krooner]

Dangun Feveron it's disco-tastic!

[elvis]

A list of some of my favourite shooters. Some are in MAME, some aren't:

Toaplan:
Batsugun
Dogyuun
Fire Shark
Outzone
Truxton
Truxton 2

Cave:
DonPachi
DoDonPachi
Guwange
ESP RaDe
ESP Galuda
ESP Galuda 2
Mushihime Sama
Mushihime Sama Futari
Ibara
Ibara Pink Sweets

Takumi/Capcom:
GigaWing
GigaWing 2
Mars Matrix

Psikyo:
Gunbird
Gunbird 2
Dragon Blaze
Samurai Aces (aka Sengoku Aces)
Strikers 1945
Strikers 1945 II
Strikers 1945 III

Seibu Kaihatsu:
Raiden
Raiden II
Raiden DX
Raiden Fighters
Raiden Fighters 2
Raiden Fighters Jet
Viper Phase

Treasure:
Radian Silvergun
Ikaruga

Taito:
Ray Force (aka Layer Selection aka Gunluck)
Ray Storm
Ray Crisis
Darius
Darius 2
Darius Gaiden
G-Darius

Konami:
Gradius 1 through 5
All the Parodius games
Juno First

Compile:
Aleste
Space Megaforce
Zanac
Zanac X Zanac
Blazing Lasers

Naxat Soft:
Summer Carnival '92 - Recca

Warashi:
Shienryu
Trigger Heart Exelica

G.rev:
Border Down
Under Defeat

Success:
Psyvariar I and II

Alpha System:
Shikigami no Shiro (aka "The Castle of the Gods" or "Castle Shikigami") I, II and III

Milestone:
Chaos Field
Radilgy (aka Radirgy)
Karous