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Why every gamer should give SHMUPs a try: Bullet Hell Hath No Fury

Why every gamer should give SHMUPs a try: Bullet Hell Hath No Fury

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WHAT IS A SHMUP?

A shmup, or STG, or just shooter, is a game genre where the player flies around in a tiny ship shooting at tanks, planes, bugs, aliens, schoolgirls, and so on. Usually the maps scroll automatically. It's one of the oldest genres, and one of the most commercially successful in the early years of gaming. You probably know (or think you know) the deal already. Bullet hell refers to a particular type of shmup that fires a ton of bullets at you. IMO bullet hells are FAR easier than old school stuff like Gradius or Raiden because the bullets and enemies are easier to see and dodge. They will also usually respawn you instantly instead of resetting the entire level.

 

This doc is for new players like me that want to learn the ropes and access this extraordinary body of work for the first time.  

 

WHO CARES?

I do, and you should too. I'm too young to have spent time in the arcades, so the mystique of Gradius, Raiden and other famous cabinets eludes me. For many years I wrote off SHMUPs as an antiquated form, games created exclusively for the most diehard hikikomori, so dedicated that they'd actually leave their house not only to play, but master. In the 2000s, many of the biggest games, Touhou chief among them, featured an assortment of anime girlfriends. Wtf is that about?

 

I've never been interested in high scores or competition, at all. But recently these games have completely dominated my free time and left me wondering how I'd never given them even a moment of serious consideration. Shmups contain some of the most elegant design in the medium and probably 99% of gamers have never given them a fair shake. This post is here to convince you to try. If you've ever been awed by the difficult but fair nature of the Dark Souls/Bloodborne/Elden Ring set, or raised a controller in joy at the defeat of a tough boss, or drooled over gorgeous sprites, you will find something to love in what you're about to play. There is a lot more to do in shmups than score.

The Electric Underground addresses longstanding misunderstandings about shmups as a genre:

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SHMUPS ARE CHEAP! 
Here's the first issue out of the way. Most shmups found on modern systems are inexpensive. With some exceptions for major arcade titles and Japan-only releases, most of them clock in around $20, and a few stone cold gems can be had for as little as $2 with no sale in place. And being one of the oldest genres, there is a ton of variety in terms of visuals, systems, and mechanics to choose from.

 

SHMUPS ARE BEAUTIFUL  

pictured: me securing a personal best score in Crimzon Clover on Switch, played in TATE (vertical) mode. I've since cleared this mode with 1 single credit and you can too: https://imgur.com/cNIB6bu.mp4

 

I mean come on. These games are gorgeous beyond compare, especially if you like chunky 2D sprites. Shmups originated in the arcades, as a public spectacle. Most titles regarded as the peak of the genre were for many years available only on printed circuited boards torn directly from an arcade machine, and now you can play these rare wonders in the comfort of your living room, possibly laying on your back if you own a Switch or a Steam Deck. The effect of this visual hype is quite powerful.

 

SHMUPS ARE FAST   
If you're reading this, you are probably an adult with a job. Since shmups are hard, you could conceivably spend 20 minutes on playing something like the fabulous Progear and complete 10 run-throughs - as in dying on the first or second level - though we all know dying is fun by now, right? If you have the experience to beat the whole game (or infinite credits), a full run will take 20-40 minutes tops. There are virtually zero cutscenes or dialogue, no forced tutorials, no unlock mechanics, no pay to win (because you aren't actually in the arcade), no chaff at all. The gameplay is everything.

 

SHMUPS ARE NOT THAT HARD    
OK OK so they're cool as heck. But aren't they only for prodigies and freaks? The answer is no. Certain titles will absolutely mug the player for all of their quarters with no remorse, but thanks to the wonders of modern game design this is usually not an issue. A good, modern port of classic a shmup, and almost always new titles, will include a wealth of accessibility features. You can choose individual levels and bosses, and many games have save state support built-in, along with speed controls and rewind for practice. Even old games have difficulty settings built in - they were on the PCBs in arcades too, selectable via DIP switch - and there is no shame in playing on easy mode. Devs are sensitive to that as well, and for years have been adapting "default" difficulty modes into novice versions into something that anyone can enjoy without feeling patronized.

 

WHERE DO I PLAY SHMUPS?  
Every platform has access to quality shmups at this point. I can only speak personally to the Switch and PC, both of which have awesome libraries. The Switch in particular supports TATE (vertical) mode in handheld. For PC, there is of course Steam, but also MAME emulation if you want the arcade experience. MAME is not recommended because it's inconvenient. For a more streamlined experience, Fightcade  supports many of the major shmups, with automated download and online matchmaking(!). Whatever you choose, pick something with level selects and/or save states.

 

WHICH SHUMPS SHOULD I PLAY?  
Here are a few awesome shmups to get you started. Pick your favorite based on the visual style, because you will be pasting your eyelids open for many hours as you dodge, attack, bomb and meditate your way to the true last boss.

[quote]
Hi everyone! Just wanted to drop this beginners list that a bunch of folks over in the Shmup Junkie discord have been working on as a good starting point to get into the genre.  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MZz8Q_8HdGyh2QU9BX4lNgyVAP9JZxxuy_YYbOLf1CM/edit?usp=drivesdk
[/quote]

 

BULLET HELL 

 

Gunvein

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This is maybe the perfect 1st shmup. Forgiving difficulty, excellent training modes, flashy graphics, indie pricing, tons of fun. Look for a port to Switch in 2023.

 

Danmaku Unlimited 3  
A super friendly game intended to onboard noobs. Developed first as a mobile title and later ported to PC and Switch. This is the game that set me down this mad path.

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Crimzon Clover: World Explosion  
A glorious game, designed by a world record setting superplayer. Made to appeal to new players as well as the most hardcore via variable difficulty. Easier to understand and more forgiving than it seems in video!

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ZeroRanger  
A gorgeous indie game. PC only for now. More continues unlock as you progress further through the game. Maybe not truly a bullet hell.

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Mushihimesama  
A classic from the master studio CAVE (the FromSoft of shooters). This is often cited as their most accessible game. It has super simple controls and ship selection, and highly legible graphics. The Novice mode is a ton of fun and does a nice job easing the player into the mess.

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Progear no Arashi  
Another from CAVE and my personal favorite. I'm currently working clearing this game in 1 credit. It's included this on the list because it costs a mere $2, as part of the Capcom Arcade Collection (individual titles are available a la carte). Features a unique mechanic where catching bullets in exploding enemies deletes them. Be sure to turn the difficulty down to 2 in the US version because it has been set too high by default! You can also play it on the JP rom, which defaults to the normal arcade level. Giga Wing  is another great shmup available in this collection, with more of a souped up Sega Genesis look and feel.

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Jamestown  
An indie darling with many fans in this thread. Remembered for bringing in a lot of casual players at release.

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Pawarumi  
Notable for its unusual Mayan theming. Features a rock-paper-scissors shot mechanic.

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ROGUELIKES

 

Monolith  
Hugely popular in both the roguelike and shmup circles, Monolith is a 4 directional shooter, where the player moves through proc gen mazes full of bullets, collecting various upgrades along the way. Features distinctive movement including a dash button. A very special game.

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The Void Rains Upon Her Heart  
A newer entry to the scene and possible classic in the making.

[quote]
The Void Rains Upon Her Heart, a criminally-underrated boss-rush shmup with roguelite-ish elements- no wait come back it's good i promise

the game's initial story mode has you going through 8-10 fights against one of dozens (like 80+? not sure) monsters and their various alternates. each monster has a level from 1 to at least 12, and more levels means more & faster bullets in each pattern, sometimes with entirely new patterns or different versions of the same pattern. each monster drops a set of "gifts" when defeated - passive boosts, helpers, Panics (bombs), consumables, all that sort of thing. not far in, you unlock Quickplay, which lets you pick a monster, their level & set of gifts and throw down for top score without the story bits
(...)
tl;dr: TVRUHH is great, it's thirteen bucks on steam, please play it! [/quote]

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CHUNKY EARLY 00s 3D  with 2D gameplay

 

Ikaruga  
Devourer of many an unsuspecting player, Ikaruga is different from every other game in this post. Designed to check the player's aggression at every point and force them to reckon with the demanding mechanics. Stages are built around a polarity mechanic where the player can absorb roughly half of the bullets on screen, while vulnerable to the rest. Not recommended for noobs at all but here it is if you're curious.

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Rolling Gunner  
Another relatively new game much lauded by shmup fans. Directed by former Cave developer Daisuke Koizumi.

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Psyvariar Delta  
A clear inspiration for Danmaku Unlimited 3: bullets can be grazed to influence score, encouraging a risky playstyle. The publisher of the most modern port is in rough shape, so it may be wise to snatch this quick before it's deslited.

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G-DARIUS  
One of the most beloved series in STGs, with a storied history. The 1st Darius utilized an ultrawide cabinet with 3 horizontal monitors to display the action. This installment was a major turning point for the series and is well remembered by fans. The modern port was developed by M2, known for their fidelity to the arcade and generous emulation features.

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OLD SCHOOL AND APPROACHABLE

 

Aleste series   

A friendly and still modern-feeling series from Compile. These games have a tight scope, with fewer enemies than bullet hell games. Friendly to the player and thoughtfully designed, this series was created from the start for console players instead of the arcade. The definition of "comfy" shmups. A few of them have been ported by M2 (JP only but region free), who went so far as to create an entirely new game exclusive to the port collection. Some of these have selectable movement speed, which makes them especially suited to retro handheld devices.

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Soldier series  
Still gorgeous 30 years later! These are old favorites by Hudson Soft. Similar in style to Aleste. Inspiration for the fantastic modern title Raging Blasters.  

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EUROSHMUPS


Euroshmups are a broad category with no solid definition. Typical characteristics include health bars, inertial movement, slower pace, and selectable upgrades. They tend to be a little controversial: https://nichegamer.com/in-defense-of-euroshmups-a-retrospective

 

Tyrian  
A classic and possibly the archetypal euroshmup. Free on GOG!

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Jet's n Guns 1&2  
[quote]
Jets’n’guns 2 is the gold standard.

They decided to take seriousness out of the equation and just go off the rails with wacky items and gear combos.

JnG 1 is great as well, but 2 is a lot better.

Sky Force and Sky Force Reloaded is also great, not as good as JnG but easily in 2nd place. Reloaded is their corny way of naming the sequel, they are 2 different games.[/quote]

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GUIDES AND ADVICE  
Shmups are distinctive in that they are fully about  learning  . Even if you don't play for score, you'll want to treat each run as an opportunity to learn something new. How does that mini boss actually work? Is there a trick to downing that mass of tiny planes? What does my lock on shot actually do? It's helpful to have a goal in mind for every session. Fire up the 2nd level only and get to problem solving, or try the full game and see how you've progressed!

These two guides will tell you everything you need to know to get started. They apply to any given shmup, especially bullet hells.

 

The Full Extent of the Jam: https://archive.org/details/full-extent-of-the-jam-english
The best gaming strategy guide I've ever seen. Details the actual journey of a scrub to world record contender. The techniques here are easy to understand.

 

[quote]==========> Music Analogy <==========
DoDonPachi is a song that's pretty easy to play in the beginning, and gets harder and harder. It's a song that lasts 45 bloody minutes. And the last few minutes are horribly hard to play.
When approaching this kind of work with mastery in mind, you may naturally try playing the song until you reach parts that seem way too hard for you. Then you will start over from the beginning until you reach them again. And again. And again. After a while, you will realize it's pretty stupid to play through the easy parts every time you want to try the first part that is hard for you, so you will start focusing on the hard parts. Bar by bar, you will decompose and study the song. The hardest bars will be the bars you study and practice the most.
=======> End of Music Analogy <=======[/quote]

 

This video from Shmup Junkie cribs from the guide above, with some extra tidbits here and there. Great watch.

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An even quicker guide to essential shmup mechanics by Aktane:

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Racketboy's Shmups 101. Lots of good foundational stuff here: https://www.racketboy.com/retro/shmups-101-a-beginners-guide-to-2d-shooters 

 

A collection of shmup reading and information: https://1cclog.blogspot.com/p/precious-shmup-links.html?m=1

 

Restart Syndrome: A public leaderboard for casual and hardcore players alike to post their scores: https://www.restartsyndrome.com/

 

System11 is the main English language shmup forum:  https://shmups.system11.org/

 

A list of beginner-friendly shmups curated by the Shmup Junkie Discord server: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MZz8Q_8HdGyh2QU9BX4lNgyVAP9JZxxuy_YYbOLf1CM/edit?usp=drivesdk

 

A well-maintained list of Switch shmups and their current sale status: https://www.dekudeals.com/lists/h9wbjf?sort=release_date

 

A quick overview of essential shmup mechanics from a design perspective:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iM9Fc2DsPppedlJVDYQ3g1VB5sFfilomGIYFIwJka9w/edit

https://twitter.com/boghogooo/status/1520874464078090246

 

Bullet Heaven: https://www.youtube.com/c/StudioMudprints/featured

 

The Electric Underground: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheElectricUnderground

 

Shoot The Core podcast: https://rfgeneration.com/podcasts/shmupclub 

 

Solid Twitter accounts to follow:
 https://twitter.com/STGshmups
 https://twitter.com/ShmupJunkie
 https://twitter.com/NShmups
 https://twitter.com/shmups 

 

This document may be shared or modified in any way! Shooting Game never die!