Bullet Hell Shmups: More than dodging

[@RandomAmer]

Great video! Do you have any recommendations for someone who wants to get into shmups?

[@jdtatum4176]

Ikaruga is old gold. Zero Ranger is new fire.

[@MrWendal]

I'm a really big fan of Cave games. Like I said in the video, Espgaluda is probably the best teacher of mechanics, but you literally cannot buy the game new anywhere. Mushihimesama is on PC, it's my second pick. EspRaDe is on Ps4 and Switch. For indie games, I like Blue Revolver on PC. I literally haven't finished any of these games, they are really hard, as are most games in the genre. But if you go in with an attitude of just trying to beat your personal best, or trying to clear short sections via stage select, they are tons of fun.

[@areoants9453]

I would absolutely recommend Zeroranger as an introduction piece to the shmup genre. It's still hard, but the devs want you to beat the game, so you're given stuff like a stage select to help you practice. The kick-ass music helps as well.

[@deus_nsf]

I would strongly suggest starting with the Touhou series, more precisely Double Dealing Character and Wily Beasts and Weakest Creature (on Steam), they support 1280x960 in fullscreen (which doesnt seem to be much but most shmups don't go past 480p). They introduce interesting newcomer friendly mechanics, but can also be very challenging if you push the difficulty. Also don't listen to the memers that shame people that starts with easy difficulty, start in easy. And try to get a 1 Credit Clear before going to normal. Don't start with normal.

[@steampunkburrito]

Thunderforce 4.

[@realmchat6665]

"Focus on where the bullets aren't" is the best advice I ever got.

[@100hundert]

Yeah, it's like a subtle but effective shift in perception, seeing the "negative space" between the bullets.

[@davidsplooge14]

opened my eyes to be honest

[@quadpad_music]

It's great general life advice too!

[@johnthomas1422]

Try: git gud. Or: don't die. Ez win.

[@hemangchauhan2864]

"Dodging. There's no avoiding it" I chuckled.

[@stonethemason12]

Ahh dam lol

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Thank you for the shout out at the end! :-D

[@1CCJAM]

That is by far the best video I've seen that explains the appeal and strategy involved in mastering shmups. This should be required viewing for all gamers. They should teach this in schools!

[@MrWendal]

Thanks!

[@LittleBigKid707b]

He did a nice job, but there are other real good ones too. FYI.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I found this based on a comment on my own video I did on the topic, from one of my subs. This was well done and a fun watch, pretty in depth and detailed. Mine was focused on entry level players and getting your feet wet, so it was much more focused on a specific point to practice. Really enjoyed the watch and will see what else you have now.

[@AverageMooMz]

Man, those side-by-side comparisons are eye-opening. That part about territory control is something I've never even CONSIDERED. Now I feel like trying out one of the Raiden games on steam that I own for some reason. Fantastic video as always! HUGE step up in production quality too!

[@MrWendal]

Thanks! The great thing about doing vertical games is you can easily put them side by side for comparisons. It's part of why I wanted to make this video, even though as a game guide it's a departure from my usual stuff. Fair warning, many of these strategies only really apply to the [bullet hell / manic shooter / danmaku] genre of shmups, of which the Raiden series doesn't really fall under, according to those who know more about shmups than me.

[@akirachristopheryrigan18]

In a nutshell: graze

[@godofdefeat]

A new Mr Wendal video? Christmas is here!

[@skyedogg]

I really appreciate you putting more eyes onto perhaps the most overlooked genre! More people would like shmups if they understood what they're all about, and you have broken them down into their essence in a way anyone can understand. Excellent work!

[@MrWendal]

Thanks!

[@SubIndy]

Alternate title: Mr. Wendal teaches me how to shmup.

[@GameplaysClassicos]

This video is so pleasent to watch that I would say this is almost a shmup advertisement. 6 minutes of pure joy right to the point why shmups feel so satisfactory. You could put into words all the feelings I have when I play these games and how I have been trying to break down the strategy behing the genre since I ever started playing

[@emperorIng360]

If someone wants to learn solid fundamentals about shooting, dodging, and learning space management, the best shmups that teach these, in my opinion, are games by Psikyo: the Gunbird series, Sengoku Ace series, Strikers 1945, and Dragon Blaze. You have to learn how to prioritize screen management/positioning, as well as learn to read patterns on a fundamental level (as many have "solutions" that let you bypass them completely). Luckily, these have all been released on the Switch, as well as coming to steam soon (outside of mame emulation, which is still probably the best way to play them). The games are colorful, funny, and have great casts of characters. If I had to pick Psikyo games to try out as a newb, Gunbird, Strikers 1945, and Sengoku Blade/Tengai are good starting points. Pacing is perfect, too: short, fast stages with unique enemy formations that don't repeat. One thing I really like about the Psikyo games is they have random stage order for the first few stages, which forces you to learn levels at multiple difficulty levels - this actually helps in the long run because you are forced to build upon your knowledge of the stage in slightly harder versions as you practice. Secondly, after the random stages, if you use a continue on the final levels, you start over from the beginning of the stage! some people hate that, but it's actually a very useful tool to make you learn how to play the game: you can't just bomb your way out of them.

[@LittleBigKid707b]

We are in a golden age or arcade gaming now. I don't emulate, but I've been able to play the most obscure shmups that I never would have. All on console like the Switch and PS4. Esprade, Espguluda, Dodon Pachi Ressurection and so on. We have so many good games to choose from. LOVE the genre!! Thanks for the video. Greetings from California.

[@s7121n9s]

When playing Jamestown back in the day, my brother couldn't understand how he kept dying and I didn't. My advice to him was don't pay attention to where the bullets are but pay attention to where the bullets aren't. After that he started doing a lot better

[@exmosquito]

Wow I wasn’t expecting such a well explained video, nicely done!!

[@MrWendal]

Thanks!

[@Patashu]

This was the major breakthrough I needed myself to get good at shmups! Don't try to go for all the hardest big dick pro gamer dodges, try to BEAT THE GAME. If that means finding the safest, most consistent route, then that's what *shmups are about*. It's almost like you're playing an action puzzle game at that point.

[@skyedogg]

Yeah exactly. Early on I found myself trying to be crazy and do fancy maneuvers all the time when really it's all about doing the least amount of moving you can.

[@MrBroken030]

i would also say that espgaluda 1 is a great entry point cause it offers so many life saving game mechanics, giving you the option to slow down bullets for yet unknown bullet patterns to memorize them for the next time and even automatically activating the bomb while being hit in that mode, its super beginner friendly imo.

[@TKnightcrawler]

Great way to explain it to people who feel like shmups are impossible!

[@adrixshadow]

As always it only takes a 6min video by Mr Wendal to have your mind blown.

[@Locriannightmare]

Very well done video! Excellent structure and good narrative explanation of things that aren't that intuitive to newcomers. One thing I can't stress enough though, even if it might act as a deterrent to some, is that these kind of games require a relatively big investment to get something out of, similar to most other competitive arcade games. Shooters are very similar to puzzle or rhythm games in that regard.

[@lamptrent]

I totally agree on the "shorter challenges" idea. The feeling of an endless, hopeless challenge is a main reason why I haven't gotten into the shmup genre, even though I really enjoy dodging. You might want to look into Maiden & Spell. Recently released, it's mainly a 1v1 shmup versus game, but the story mode has a format I really enjoyed. It's all bosses, each story segment is a bunch of bosses strung together, and each boss has multiple "lives" to beat. The player gets four hit points, and 3 lives - beating a boss's life will not just refill your hit points, but also restore a life. This not only lets the player retry a difficult section they get to, it lets them rebuild if a challenge took a few tries. It makes for challenging fights for survival that give the player a satisfying amount of attempts. I'm sure there's a less clumsy way to explain all this, I'm mainly just saying you could be impressed by Maiden & Spell's take on this.

[@MrWendal]

Thanks, I've had a quick look at it, might pick it up if it goes on sale.

[@mazstg8844]

Congrats for the video, being a shmup player I can say It is easy to understand and well done

[@MrWendal]

Thanks!

[@tubbiele2]

@@MrWendal one problem with your video is that you can trap yourself when saving if there is a rank system. All the rest of the video is excellent

[@satyris410]

I was recommended this channel after watching vsauce and the first 3 minutes of The Wire pilot. I don't know why your channel isn't more popular

[@elheber]

I was never into SHMUPS for the same reason you described at the start of the video: Not good at dodging. I'd never realized there was anything more to them until your vid. I might give them a go. I wonder if the Switch has any games with the console turned sideways.

[@MrWendal]

Sure does! I mean, don't get me wrong, they are still mostly about dodging, but there's ways you can make it easier on yourself. I think the important thing to remember is not all games are made to be beaten, arcade games especially. I've never one credit cleared any of these games, but it's fun to try and beat my personal best and get to a stage I've never reached before.

[@wobzee]

Ikaruga and sine Mora ex on switch. Both very hard until they aren't

[@LinieEber]

DU3 and ESP Ra De are on Switch. I can really recommend them, especially ESP Ra De.

[@chasepalumbo2929]

SUCH a good beginner’s breakdown

[@shmuproom1293]

How have I only just seen this video!great stuff👍always great seeing shmup content.subbed!

[@flandrescarletdevil5844]

Mr Wendal on Games : Shumps, shoot em ups, never successfully made the transition out of the arcades. ZUN : Hold my beer-

[@antusFireNova]

Really good vid, definitely to recommend to people getting into shmpus!

[@traphousegamer1906]

Love the video I sent it to a friend who is interested in shmups but beers they're difficulty and his ability to succeed in them

[@Fafr]

Bullet Hell Monday is a really good first bullet hell shmup to get into. It's a free to play mobile game, but don't let it push you away from it. While there are microtransactions, you can beat the entirety of the game without paying. It has good music, good graphics, and, most importantly, good gameplay. The game is divided into 5 chapters, each consisting of 10 levels and a unique song. Every level has a set of different tasks, and they give you points. You need to get 100 points to unlock the next level. These tasks also give you AP, used for upgrading, which is carried over to all the levels. There are two other games in the series, Bullet Hell Monday Black and Bullet Hell Monday Finale. In Black, you don't upgrade, but you use abilities that recharge during the level. Speaking of levels, there are 5 levels instead of 5 chapters, with each level being considerably longer and harder than Bullet Hell Monday. There is Finale, but I don't know anything about it, but I do know that it returns the upgrading system from Bullet Hell Monday.

[@fumo-fumo-fumo]

It's dodging *and* shooting.

[@slax4884]

Good to see you posting again :)

[@pressetoascend]

as a touhou fan, this is really good advice, and definitely very useful for if you want to get into bullet hell games.

[@SicketMog]

I think Ikeda explained the vert preference in a documentary (during the development of Akai Katana). He put it as you being able to see the bullets coming straight down; for horis you need to flick your head/eyes back and forth.

[@Regdren]

This video needs a lot more love.

[@reagandow850]

Wow! I’ve been playing shmups for. Long time and I’ve never heard someone explain things so well. Great job my friend!!! You are a lot better player then you think btw! 👍

[@MrWendal]

Thanks! I'm alright. I've 1ccd Dodonpachi and Espgaluda, took me like 100 hours on each. I think it would take me another 100 hours to get another on Espgaulda. That last boss is murder.

[@Chris-Courage]

My biggest gripe with Bullet Hell games isn't so much the vast amount of bullets but more with the vast amount of junk that's on the screen at once besides the bullets. For example, when games throw a whole mess of objects to pick up on the screen for points or games showing numbers on the screen for how much damage is being delt to an enemy. Things like that.

[@MrWendal]

I agree. In fact I think the biggest problem is all your shots that fill the screen with so much visual noise. Maybe you should try Solid Aether, a minimalist shmup.

[@haiperbus]

touhou is much more straight forward in that regard, in fact, your own bullets have a low opacity so you can see details through your stream

[@CherikoSol]

Bullet hells are Rhythm games where you fight back

[@poledra4153]

Sometimes, when a guy dodge super fast, seemingly impossible bullet patterns, it's just a lot of aimed bullets

[@Alienboi2005vidsandstuff]

That's why I like bullet hells so much, they're good for the mind

[@Poopio]

This video was awesome. I can’t wait to try some of these games in the comments.

[@gregamiah]

Fantastic video! If possible I'd love to see more like this on different genres, making seemingly impenetrable games feel accessible

[@MrWendal]

Thanks! I could probably do one like this for Roguelikes. What do y'all think are the other impenetrable genres? Souls?

[@gregamiah]

@@MrWendal Those would both make for excellent videos! Personally, mine are pinball and spectacle fighters. The lack of control deters me from pinball and spectacle fighters are made less fun when basic attacks are enough to progress through the game.

[@CuppaBro1]

@@MrWendal I think Roguelikes would make for a good video, and MOBAs are my personal kryptonite when it comes to absolutely failing to figure anything out.

[@bearmandev]

It's always cool seeing a genre click for someone.

[@abx_yenway]

This is cool and educational. Thanks!

[@cryptooooooooo]

best vids on the site for sure

[@xwdishere]

There's already a lot of shumps geared towards shorter goals than a 1CC. One of the earliest I know of is Shoot the Bullet (Touhou 9.5) from 2004 which is broken down into a series of scenes where the objective is to use your camera that deletes bullets to take pictures of the boss. Each scene can be completed in about a minute, and unlocking later scenes becomes easier the more difficult the scenes become. There's also Jamestown which presents its stages as a series of challenges and lets you continue to unlock the next one, Ten & Till which has an autosave feature where dying sends you back to the start of the stage with all the resources you had, ZeroRanger which lets you earn more continues the more you play it and start at any stage you've reached so far (it even has a narrative reason for it), and Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom (Touhou 15) which takes inspiration from I Wanna Be the Guy and has checkpoints every 30 to 60 seconds, then increases the bullet count to about as high as the engine can handle. And, as has been mentioned elsewhere, Maiden & Spell. What I think is interesting is that most of these games still offer some kind of challenge for the hardcore - if you're truly dedicated, there's an option to try to 1CC it. (Except for Shoot the Bullet, you have to speedrun it.) It's a good way to offer a middle ground between being accessible and having longevity, same with offering multiple difficulty modes. There's also a variety of great practice tools out there - some of the other, non-scene Touhou games allow you to practice the trickier boss patterns, and there's a general practice tool that lets you skip to any part of the game instantly.

[@MrWendal]

Thanks for the info. A lot of the Cave shmup home ports like Mushihimesama and Espgaluda 2 also support autosave back to the beginning of the stage.

[@yadsewnde]

Amazing content as always

[@v2power921]

I was playing eXceeD 3rd JADE PENETRATE recently and bro... its awesome, recommended! Btw nice video bro +1 SUB

[@MrWendal]

Thanks! Yeah I was thinking about getting that but then what my steam friends think I was playing when this came up: "Mr Wendal is now playing: Exceed 3rd JADE PENETRATE BLACK PACKAGE" And then they check out the game and it's all fanservicy anime girls

[@nerdzone]

A great breakdown!

[@MatiasMaldona3]

Ive played lots of touhou, and never throught about free space, or strategy at all, its always been to me more about dodging the bullets while trying to not get cornered. Im gonna definitely have to play some new shmups games tomorrow, and try to think a bit more about where to move and such, it seems. Nice video as always dude I love these, and thanks for the subtitles. Any throughts about touhou in general? Surprised you havent played it tbh.

[@MrWendal]

I've seen it but it doesn't really interest me. Gameplay wise it seems to have less aimed bullets and more patterns, in which the bullets more more slowly. And is it like all bosses? Seems to have less room for strategy generally. Aesthetics wise, I'm not a fan of it's art style either.

[@MatiasMaldona3]

@@MrWendal It depends on the boss, althought yeah the game is a lot more pattern focused. Bosses have their own variety of attacks, so no boss is like another, making each boss feel unique. Its not as simple as learning patterns and doing the same each time agaisnt every enemy, since some bullets spawn, or move randomly, timings change, and so on. And yeah, the aesthetic is respectable to not be into. Its kinda weird the whole girl thing, althought its a small part of the game at least, only at the start and ending of a boss fight with small dialogue. You should give the game a try, or at least watch some boss fights, they are really cool to look at.

[@kerob-sx6kx]

@@MrWendal this is completely wrong. The game have tons of aimed bullets. The patters are beautiful and requires a lot of strategy. The music is fantastic too is one of the best shoot them ups i have ever played and there is a reason why there are so many of them. Try them out . And dont forget to use the shift button to slow yourself down and see your hitbox which one to start? I recommend touhou 8 imperishable night. Since i think is the easiest one to get into. Then you can try the other ones

[@retlom779]

@@kerob-sx6kx he is not realy wrong Touhou is alot more "static" than Cave games the once he likes. I do play them both cuz i love TH music but somehow i enjoy the Cave Bullet Hell alot more, it is not feeling static like Touhou. For me Touhou feels more like a Puzzle than Cave-games do

[@thatoneguywhoraps]

"Sometimes I dodge things and I don't even know how I did it" Well, usually, I end up dying and I don't even know how I did it

[@aliasmcdoe]

For me what made bullet hells much more approachable is to not focus on the bullets, but on the space between them. There's always paths you can escape to once you train your eyes to that. And don't focus on watching your ship/character, since that greatly reduces your ability to spot paths in bullet patterns.

[@DZMegamind]

I'm a bit disappointed seriously no Conrad Hart intro is just unacceptable on a serious note tho it's always a delight to see your notifications keep 'em coming

[@ominojaku1069]

Iv got nearly all these games u have shown, awesome

[@niconico4138]

Shmups and Fighting Games

[@LinieEber]

2 different genres which has a lot of things in common~

[@soratheorangejuicemascot5809]

@@LinieEber Is there a good game that is a literal combination of both?

[@LinieEber]

@@soratheorangejuicemascot5809 Well kinda, they are called versus shmup. You fight 1v1 against someone else. PoFV and TSS are the best one out there

[@soratheorangejuicemascot5809]

@@LinieEber PoFV and TSS? What are those game?

[@LinieEber]

@@soratheorangejuicemascot5809 Phantasmagoria of Flower View and Twinkle Star Sprites

[@TonyDrecaps]

Cool video. Good tips

[@CrudusViscus]

THE KING RETURNS

[@claudiomonteverdi847]

im having a lot of fun with shmup versus games: acceleration of suguri 2, Maiden and Spell and Twinkle star sprites. i really think they are the future of the genre

[@soratheorangejuicemascot5809]

Twinkle Star Sprite is the peak of fighting game.

[@gilavalos2400]

Been playing the shoot'em ups for a very long time. Thr genre isn't for everyone especially those who get frustrated quickly and those who lack patience Oh, great video, thanks.

[@ssjcrafter8842]

5:51 Touhou 15(Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom): I don't think it's necessarily the best idea... that game in particular is notoriously difficult. do give it a try though, since it sounds like what you want to play...

[@vianenhive]

I would disagree with the very first line in the video, considering the incredible staying power of Touhou. Though admittedly the franchise owes a lot to the incredible amounts of mixed media created by fans over the years.

[@MrWendal]

You're right, I've completely ignored Touhou. Sorry. It's not really my cup of tea though, from what I've seen. I've never played it.

[@God-ch8lq]

@@MrWendal it's more about micrododging than macrodoging from my experience bosses have one healthbar for each phase (aka spellcard) with cooldown phases between them (aka nonspells), with each spellcard being distinctly different and requiring a vastly different startegy generally, you should pick reimu, cuz her shots are homing and she has a smaller hitbox, letting you focus more on dodging she also has forward focus variant in some games many boss patterns are indirect, a lot of things come from the sides or from the back and most streaming patterns do not look like streaming at all at first glance curved lasers are a thing, and theyr'e a nightmare you only get rewards from capturing a spellcard if you don't bomb nor get hit

[@michielkroder4031]

Also, shoot 'em ups are perhaps the oldest game genre, and in the 80s and early 90s they were a dominant genre in home gaming as well. Everybody was playing games like Galaga, Gradius, Life Force, Thunder Force, U.N. Squadron, 1943, etc. Great video otherwise, though!

[@Shepardus]

You should check out Shoot the Bullet and Double Spoiler (from the Touhou series) for gameplay oriented around shorter goals like you described at the end of the video. Gameplay's oriented around short "scenes" that can be almost like puzzles. Edit: and Impossible Spell Card and Violet Detector, I always forget about those.

[@MrWendal]

Thanks for the tip

[@God-ch8lq]

StB however is arguably the hardest game in the series, even more than subterrenan animism

[@SeekerLancer]

The problem most new players, myself included, have is that they try to take in the whole screen and are overwhelmed by the number of bullets. When I learned instead to not look for the bullets but to focus on pathways through them I started making progress.

[@boghogSTG]

You're GOD DAMN right. Great video, concisely breaks down some important aspects of playing with nice presentation. Pattern reading and dodging skills are highly transferable between bullet hell games, so sometimes you can come back to patterns that completely overwhelmed you when you were less experienced, and confidently dodge them by sight reading alone. It's super satisfying. When's the "Shmups: More than surviving" follow up? ;) The various intricate scoring systems of shmups are seldom talked about, yet they have so much to offer!

[@MrWendal]

Thanks! If I ever get beyond the survival stage, I'll think about it :)

[@boghogSTG]

@@MrWendal Hey man don't let the superplays intimidate you, scoring can be a lot of fun at any skill level if you don't bite off more than you can chew! I've spent hours just replaying stage 1 in some games.

[@okuu_utsuho]

The thing I hate about shmups are bosses that shoot insta kill lasers. Example is Strikers 1999’s Geo Bite (Stage 6 when you are on the side of the screen). That boss shoots so many insta kill lasers. The coolest technique I love on shmups is Bullet Hoarding where you manipulate aimed bullets.

[@Т1000-м1и]

33k views and 12k subs in 3 years. KZbin is youtube

[@arsenskavin130]

Nice video!

[@ZatohRondohoon3227]

True. Here's A Big Leap Of Difference Between First Person Shooters, And SHMUPS: FPS (First Person Shooters) Are, Basically Simulations, Of Pick A Gun, Aim, Fire, Take Cover, Dodge Grenade/Mortar Fire, And Achieve Victory. The Reaction Time You Have, Through FPS, Can Be From Casual, To All The Way Instantaneous. But The Major Downside Is, You Are Given Too Much Of Liberty To Not Face Anything Like That In Reality. SHMUPS Do More Than What FPS Do. Before You Think Of Reaching The Goal, You Are Required To Learn. Learn To Fail, Learn To Avoid, Learn To Dodge, And Learn To Take Ground Of Territory, In The Midst Of Bullets Hailing At You. Put That In Real Life Scenario, You're Piloting An MIG (Or Whatever Fighter Jet), And You Are To Destroy A Stealth Fighter Equipped With Hi-tech Arsenal That Can EASILY Mow You Down. The Reaction Time In SHMUPS, Increase Through Experience In Playtime, And Becomes WAY MORE Effective, Than What You Do In FPS.

[@run1cc347]

Great stuff!!

[@MrWendal]

Thanks!

[@Flarfelvarven]

After watching this video I wanted to give shmups a try. Then I watched a Mushihimesama Ultra Mode playthrough, and I'm back to giving up again. LOL

[@MrWendal]

Mushi Ultra is literally the hardest thing out there ... Mushi on original mode is a really nice place to start though. Same game, 90% less bullets.

[@jdtatum4176]

No Ikaruga? No Zero Ranger? No mention of "bullet hell" and how its permeating the industry...

[@MrWendal]

Haven't played Ikaruga. Probably should have for research, but this video was aimed towards shmup noobs (like me) and it's got a rep for being murderous. I tried Zero Ranger, everyone loves it, I recommend it for other people, but it wasn't for me. Not a fan of old-school shmups where the environment and geometry are hazards and you don't have room to move. I am a biased and unashamed Cave / bullet hell fanboy.

[@sonicdv3953]

@@MrWendal You probably aren't going to enjoy Ikaruga in that case. It has a lot of environmental hazards.

[@Assiboo1150]

Great video

[@saynotop2w]

I hope Hideki Kamiya sees this video. Every ship shooter section he hamfists in his games are absolute hinderance of his otherwise fine games. That dude loves shmups but my god he doesn't get it.

[@edlowry1]

Cool thanks for the info

[@MrWendal]

Thanks for the thanks!

[@ShadidAhmed]

ah dude! missed you man

[@redmage8719]

My very first danmaku shmup was Mushihimesama.

[@Wind_Falcon]

Man I would kill for you to make a video on Pathologic 2.

[@Princeallahagnew]

I luv shumps

[@Gilburrito]

I didn't realize, but I've developed the habit of subconsciously doing these tactics whenever I play these games! Every example Mr Wendal showed I imagined myself doing exactly what he described, except I had no explicit reason why I would do it. (Except for the sound example, I would have never noticed that) It felt like I was being analyzed this time around lol, I wonder if anyone else felt this?

[@MrWendal]

I guess your experience mirrored mine? Or do you mean that you only started doing this stuff since watching this video even though it offers no benefit in the sections you're doing it? This stuff only applies to bullet hells, so if you're playing old school shmups it doesn't really apply.

[@Gilburrito]

@@MrWendal I only play bullet hells, I've always done this stuff and just never realized it until now. Probably developed the habits after dying so much lol, I just kind of brute force games until their gameplay becomes instinctual

[@gordyowl9455]

6:14 I actually play this on my modded PS2 loaded with USB, because I don't have any other way to play Espgaluda just like it should be, and yes I'm impressed that can output 240p from a PS2, same with Daioujou

[@MrWendal]

The PS2 game sells for about $100 and you need a Japanese or modded PS2 ... I want to give Cave my money but they just don't want it.

[@count-robo]

well talked

[@MrWendal]

thanks

[@testoftetris]

to your point about re-thinking shmup goals, I'd highly recommend checking out the Bullet Hell Monday games on iOS and Android. There's a bit of a freemium grind at the start which kinda sucks, but once you get over the hump, BHM are some of the best shmups I've played (far and away the best option in the genre on mobile devices).

[@bobbarker8405]

I agree, I can't really get into shmups but Bullet Hell Monday is amazing. I love the coin collecting mechanic where you have to lift your finger off the screen.

[@testoftetris]

@@bobbarker8405 I think that's pretty common in a lot of shmups. There's often some kind of bonus tied to easing off of the "shoot" button, but it's extra thrilling in Bullet Hell Monday since you can't even dodge in that moment. Big risk/reward

[@cremetem]

i like touhou

[@wobzee]

Great video, maybe a part 2 looking at risk reward?

[@BrainstormBrad]

Lol. Good ole Mark

[@kurisuchiinathecrocodile333]

Great video, thank you very much! Though it focuses more on bullethell subtype of genre rahter than other stuff like R-Type or Darius

[@MrWendal]

It's right there in the title

[@randomlad7851]

4:23 *Cry in Sky Force*

[@Rompastompa71]

Viewpoint for the Neo Geo.... Not a vertical shmup but still noteworthy.

[@changmymind]

Omg you are alive

[@MrWendal]

Not dead ... my last video was only a month ago. Hey that's fast for me. You might have missed a few because of youtube not telling you about them.

[@changmymind]

@@MrWendal indeed i just realised that, what a shame, notifications are on though

[@antinumeric7218]

Have you tried ZeroRanger? It is amazing.

[@MrWendal]

I have. Everyone loves it, I recommend it to everyone who is not me. I really hated stage 2, so much so that I steam refunded the game. Zero Ranger is the game that made me realize I like bullet hells pretty much exclusively, and don't like the old school style of shmups with environmental hazards and moving stage geometry.

[@antioche6276]

So. After the cancelled Getting Over it stream, Touhou stream when ? I need my fill of your tears and salt in order to live properly !

[@MrWendal]

Touhou doesn't really interest me, but I might do a Cave / indie shmup streams sometime in quarantine

[@deus_nsf]

@@MrWendal Why is that? I might be biaised towards the series but Touhou main games are really interesting to play, one of the main reason for it is that the music is synced on stage phases, making it a sort of hybrid rythm game and it feels incredibly satisfying. If you want one with a save state system you have Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom that features a "pointdevice" mode in addition to the legacy one which breaks the game into chapters, and takes you to the beggining of the chapter if you fail. Really interesting to play, it can be bought on Steam easily. It is one of the hardest in the series though!

[@MrWendal]

@@deus_nsf The music thing has me the most intrigued. Which game in the series does this the best in your opinion?

[@deus_nsf]

@@MrWendal This is really hard to tell, as I've only played the ones available on steam. I think Double Dealing Character does a good job at this, especially the Extra Stage. The latest (17 / Wily Beasts and Weakest Creature is pretty good at this too), but they honestly kind of more or less are. But only LoLK has a checkpoint system so if that is an important think you might consider this one more than the others.

[@hellowyrm1295]

@@MrWendal The fella kinda overstates the 'rhythm' aspect of those games, but the music, and how the stage portions are synched to it, does make for a solid portion of those games' identities. I wouldn't say any one of them does that better than the rest, but if I had to choose, I'd pick Touhou 7 & 8. If you can track it down, Touhou 8: Imperishable Night would be the best title to start with, imo. It's overall reasonably challenging, with a couple tough spots here and there, which can be alleviated with the many resources it throws at you. It also has a lot of replay value, that goes beyond what shmups typically have to offer. Its Spell Practice is a great tool for practicing various bosses' more complicated patterns, while also being a fun mode in its own right, with unique goals to strive towards outside of the main campaign. Lastly, the OST is easily in the top 3 of the series, if not at the absolute top. Even if it lacked the Spell Practice, I'd recommend it as the starting point just for that music alone.

[@PSWification]

Great introduction......For beginners I would also recommend the Touhou series above the Cave ones (without denying theyre greatness)....sure the Bullet Patterns are a bit more complex and these games are known for theyre difficulty, but for me personally I found them easier than the Cave, Psikyo (and alike) ones, since the bullets move at a way slower speed. Especially recommended for beginners is "Mountain of Faith" and "Perfect Cherry Blossom", which I found to be the easiest ones. Although the Artstyle could scare some newbs off, so I would also recommend looking into some great fangames, there, since the Gameplay is mostly the same but these titles build upon the touhou formular by adding nice artstyles to them. Especially the "Makuka Sai", "Loong-Media" Games and the release Version of "The elegant Impermanence of Sakura" are some great looking titles, with awesome gameplay (not just for beginners, but for everyone). :-)

[@draco18s]

Game you can buy now: Jamestown. store.steampowered.com/app/94200/Jamestown/ Even you, reader, should be able to take on the majority of the game's difficulties. I've managed all but the final level on the next-to-last difficulty (and could probably handle the last difficulty on some levels, but I have to get that final clear before I can have access, or do better at some of the one-off arcade modes) and I'm *terrible* at shmups.

[@andressepulveda7092]

Best advice :You can move subtitles

[@mr.rookie7222]

You can have shumps on mobile phones. But the controls are gonna annoy you. The best shump on mobile phones I can think of is Bullet Hell Monday.

[@angrygarbanzo5436]

And I thought Xevious was hard, this stuff looks rough

[@tubbiele2]

Xevious is hard, it is simply a different take on the genre IMHO.

[@Zaksporebrainiac]

dude what songs did you use in the entire video? I would love to know.

[@MrWendal]

0:01 Dodonpachi Daioujou - East Asia 0:34 Blue Revolver - Cannabis Connundrum Exemia Remix 1:12 Dodonpachi Daioujou - Seibu Strange Dance (Stage 3) 2:16 Espgaluda - Stage 1 2:44 Blue Revolver - Aerolilth Aurorablast (Stage 3) 4:10 Blue Revolver - Cannabis Connundrum 5:18 Espgaluda - Tremendous Pressure (Stage 5) 6:06 Espgaluda - Fort City (stage 4)

[@Zaksporebrainiac]

@@MrWendal THANKYOU SOO MUCH!!!! seriously, I've asked many people what songs they use and hardly any of them respond so thank you so much!

[@MrWendal]

@@Zaksporebrainiac No worries

[@laurenmswigart]

I love shmups I play danmaku unlimited 3

[@ggerely]

Seizures guaranteed

[@MrWendal]

Or your money back!