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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Erik on January 17, 2013, 10:58:45 am

Title: Easy shmups?
Post by: Erik on January 17, 2013, 10:58:45 am
Which shmups emulated in mame are considered good beginner games?   :dunno  The only one I can play for any decent amount of time is Varth. 
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: mgb on January 17, 2013, 11:24:37 am
I'm not sure it qualifies as easy or not, but it's not a bullet hell like some others anyway, but I like Flying Shark alot.
Also Neo Geos Ghost Pilots (horizontal screen, not vertical)
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: Well Fed Games on January 17, 2013, 11:34:31 am
Don't forget that some games have difficulty settings in the DIP switch menu. For instance, I would recommend Raiden on "easy" as a good place to start.
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: spoot on January 17, 2013, 11:38:16 am
Gigawing as long as you use your forceshield.  I'll try to list more later.

If sumthing seems to hard.......fire up Mars Matrix for a few minutes.......then you can go back to the other game and go "oh this is easy".    :laugh2:  :cheers:
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: Louis Tully on January 17, 2013, 12:04:35 pm
.
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: harveybirdman on January 17, 2013, 12:26:50 pm
Give Final Star Force a try
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: rCadeGaming on January 17, 2013, 12:39:38 pm
If you're having trouble with a more difficult game, you could try running at 3/4 or half speed or something for practice.
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: brad808 on January 17, 2013, 01:34:42 pm
The trick is to raise the difficulty.

After you get your ass handed to you for 30 minutes or so put it back to normal difficulty and see how much easier it feels.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: CoryBee on January 17, 2013, 03:32:12 pm
The trick is to raise the difficulty.

After you get your ass handed to you for 30 minutes or so put it back to normal difficulty and see how much easier it feels.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

This is so true. Whenever I play any game pretty much, I put it on the hardest difficulty to see if I can beat it that way. If not, then I lower it a bit and feel like a champ.
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: rCadeGaming on January 17, 2013, 03:35:37 pm
You guys are right.  It's like playing Hagane on the SNES.  After beating that, Castlevania seems so much easier.
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: WindDrake on January 17, 2013, 04:11:06 pm
Another +1 on Gigawing.

Raiden Fighters Jet is a personal favorite of mine if you notch the difficulty down.

Blazing Star on the Neo Geo is also pretty easy.

Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: matsadona on January 18, 2013, 04:31:49 am
I second that Flying shark is a great old school game. But one that I always get back to is Twin Cobra. It is pretty hard since it is unforgiving with enemies firing at you even when you are just one pixel away (as of my understanding newer games doesn't. But they spray a ridiculous amount of bullet at you instead...) but still my favorite.
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: spoot on January 18, 2013, 10:22:20 am
Batsugun - no "mechanics" to learn such as shield, chaining or scoring besides KILL THEM ALL.  Does get a bit rough a ways in the game though.
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: harveybirdman on January 18, 2013, 12:37:58 pm
Batsugun - no "mechanics" to learn such as shield, chaining or scoring besides KILL THEM ALL.  Does get a bit rough a ways in the game though.

Awesome Toplan shooter.  It does get hard pretty fast though.

Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: Malenko on January 18, 2013, 12:56:30 pm
Jamestown on the PC, Easy is SUPER EASY, Divine is rage inducing. and the game is like $3.


I know I know you said "emulated in MAME" but this game is totally worth it.
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: spoot on January 18, 2013, 01:45:46 pm
Batsugun - no "mechanics" to learn such as shield, chaining or scoring besides KILL THEM ALL.  Does get a bit rough a ways in the game though.

Awesome Toplan shooter.  It does get hard pretty fast though.

Yeah, I still hate Jupiter.
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: rCadeGaming on January 18, 2013, 05:53:52 pm
Ok, if we can suggest PC games, here's one you reminded me of.  Raptor: Call of the Shadows.  It's super easy, especially when you've earned a little money and upgraded your plane.
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: sharpfork on January 18, 2013, 07:02:59 pm
Raiden was my first shmup love.

SIII + Cyanogen + Tapatalk 2

Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: Woodshop Flunky on January 19, 2013, 01:10:05 am
I had my son play Tiger Heli first.  It starts off really slow.  He had never played a shmup before, so I just wanted him to get the idea of dodging, and keep shooting.

After that, he picked up Raiden, and played it forever.

Now he can jump into most shmups and do okay.
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: M.Lanza on January 19, 2013, 12:40:44 pm
You can try the freeware pc shooter Rrootage (sp).
It's a pretty good introduction to bullet hell type shooters.

Truxton is pretty awesome as well.
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: emphatic on January 20, 2013, 06:01:10 pm
Twin Cobra. Bomb a lot and use the blue weapon. Profit. :cheers:
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: DeLuSioNal29 on January 21, 2013, 01:19:39 pm
+1 on Raiden Fighters Jet.

E.S.P. RaDe is also one of my favs along with Do Don Pachi.

Also, if you can find it:  Raiden III for the PC.  You can set it to "practice" which sets the enemies to not shoot any bullets (collisions will be on though - so you can still die.)

See a quick demo of it on my machine here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQdq_0p5q24&feature=player_detailpage&list=UUAByuBPBL-WY1AhS0WNnANA#t=146s (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQdq_0p5q24&feature=player_detailpage&list=UUAByuBPBL-WY1AhS0WNnANA#t=146s)

DeLuSioNaL29
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: stripe4 on January 22, 2013, 09:33:02 am
If you don't mind NES, Gun-Nac is super easy!
Gun-Nac - NES Gameplay (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYzBwgRd-zg#)
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: harveybirdman on January 22, 2013, 10:36:27 am
As long as we're talking consoles, check ou Spriggan Powered on the snes.
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: rCadeGaming on January 22, 2013, 12:30:22 pm
I was just reading up on Compile shooters, and apparently Spriggan Powered sucks in comparison to Compile's main works, at least according to this:

http://hardcoregaming101.net/aleste/compile2.htm (http://hardcoregaming101.net/aleste/compile2.htm)

Is it just easy?

The PC Engine Spriggan games are supposed to be much better, and the Aleste series even more so.  So far I only have Blazing Lazers/Gunhed for the PC Engine.  That's a great game, and it's really easy when your weapons are powered up.
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: melvinbates on January 22, 2013, 01:13:01 pm
My three year old loves Don Pachi.  It's not too difficult in the beginning stages.
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: harveybirdman on January 22, 2013, 03:07:15 pm
I was just reading up on Compile shooters, and apparently Spriggan Powered sucks in comparison to Compile's main works, at least according to this:

http://hardcoregaming101.net/aleste/compile2.htm (http://hardcoregaming101.net/aleste/compile2.htm)

Is it just easy?

The PC Engine Spriggan games are supposed to be much better, and the Aleste series even more so.  So far I only have Blazing Lazers/Gunhed for the PC Engine.  That's a great game, and it's really easy when your weapons are powered up.

Essentially yes, very easy difficulty starting out which is why I suggested it.  The power up system leaves a bit to be desired as well, I'll have to try out the PC engine games, I didn't know about them, thanks for the link!
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: rCadeGaming on January 22, 2013, 03:56:31 pm
NP, that's a great site.  I read that and RacketBoy a lot.

Yup, just kind of discovering the PC Engine myself (IMHO Bonk is terrible btw).  After playing Rondo of Blood emulated a few years ago, that lead me to finally getting a real copy and a Duo R recently.  The shmups I have so far are Blazing Lazers, Gate of Thunder (my favorite console shmup so far, not easy though), and Sapphire (it's a sealed repro though, and I haven't brought myself to open it yet).  On my list are Lords of Thunder, the Star Soldier series, and the Aleste Series (related to MUSHA Aleste on Genesis), among others.

To the OP, I think all of the above are fairly difficult, except Blazing Lazers at least, which would be a good starting point into these.
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: Generic Eric on January 22, 2013, 10:23:41 pm
Truxton II and Juno First.  Galaga '88
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: emphatic on January 24, 2013, 05:06:32 pm
Truxton II

ORLY?  :laugh2: Or is the World revision easier than the Japanese one?
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: Cynicaster on January 25, 2013, 10:02:25 am
Dragon Spirit! 

Totally kidding.

Seriously though, what about 1943?  I haven't spent all that much time playing that game, but I feel like whenever I do, a single credit lasts a lot longer than most arcade games and I am able to survive past 3-4 bosses (it's been a while, I forget). 
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: Generic Eric on January 25, 2013, 11:50:15 am
Truxton II

ORLY?  :laugh2: Or is the World revision easier than the Japanese one?

Nope.  My only exposure was from the high score competition #66.  Haven't played the other to comment
Title: Re: Easy shmups?
Post by: opt2not on January 25, 2013, 02:48:18 pm
I say just find a Shmup you like, then play it on easier difficulties till you get better.  Heck, if you're emulating it, then use save states to give you some practice for areas you tend to die a lot at.

The whole point of shmups is to concur difficulty, by learning patterns, controlling the spawning so you don't get overrun, and of course learning hit boxes and how to use 'em for dodging.