Don't hate on easy shmups

[Sonic R]

Keep with weapon 5, don't stay at any of the borders of the screen. I find Zanac NES to be easier than Zanac Neo, no doubts about it.

Easier than Zanac Neo with FC Custom? (†I can 1cc Zanac Neo with FC Custom and I am suxor)

‡note to try weapon 5 in Zanac

[Shatterhand]

easier than Zanac Neo with the normal ships

[unsane]

My list:
Viper Phase 1

Old or New ?. The time based weapon of the old version makes it hard as nail; they removed it on the new version; which makes it far too easy.

Old is obv harder, but new is very hard too. You both fail at this thread.


This thread idea is a breath of fresh air. I don't have the attention span to dedicate weeks/months to a game to 1cc it. If i did, i wouldn't be playing shmups. I play them for a fun adrenaline rush, not memorization drudgery. On most days i play 5+ different shmups haha.

In almost every single one i've played i get stuck at stage 3 or 4. Only exceptions are Battle Bakraid (5, on advanced) and Raiden Fighters Jet (6). That should change soon though, as i've only played a couple games on the OP list, and 15+ years ago at that. It'll be nice to finally be able to finish something.

[escadrille]

I always thought R-Type Leo was relatively easier than the other R-Types. Great music too.

Definately. Leo is way easier than any other R-Type.

[professor ganson]

easier than Zanac Neo with the normal ships

OK, I suppose that's possible. I'll try sticking to weapon 5 next time and see how that goes.

[jepjepjep]

I don't understand how anyone can consider Sorcer Striker/Mahou Daisakusen an easy shmup. I picked up the pcb recently and it has been brutalizing me. Is it really considered on the easy side by most?

[Kollision]

Some games I think weren't mentioned yet:

Double Shienryu
Fire Mustang MD
Sagaia/Darius II MD
Trouble Shooter/Battlemania
Cho Aniki PCE-CD

[roker]

Armed Police Batrider - Normal Mode - Straw Man

Should be easy enough to complete for anyone with a little bit of practice.

[apatia77]

I see a lot of easy shmups in this thread, hard to believe that easy shmups actually exist.

Would you consider Mushihimesame Futari BL Arcade as easy? This is my first cave game I managed to 1CC and any other shmups I usualy play just kick my ass after 3rd, 4th stage.

[RNGmaster]

I don't see how Galuda is easy at all. Stage 5 is a real bugger, and scoring can make any stage more annoying. Yes, you have slowdown, and the stages themselves are pretty easy, but the bosses (especially final) more than make up for that.

[captpain]

I don't see how Galuda is easy at all. Stage 5 is a real bugger, and scoring can make any stage more annoying. Yes, you have slowdown, and the stages themselves are pretty easy, but the bosses (especially final) more than make up for that.

For a non-looping game by Cave, it's pretty easy.

[JGcontraman]

Really depends how easy we are talking, some of the listed games are about medium paced to somewhat hard, but easy to get around if you take the time to play through them.

[Kollision]

If we go by the talks of some very old posts, Espgaluda cannot be considered easy.
Walk in the park (for seasoned players) until stage 5? Yes. Last boss? One of the biggest m*fuckers I've had to deal with to clear a game.

So no, it's not an easy game.

[Ed Oscuro]

I don't understand how anyone can consider Sorcer Striker/Mahou Daisakusen an easy shmup. I picked up the pcb recently and it has been brutalizing me. Is it really considered on the easy side by most?

That's just Twiddle fucking with you. It's not the hardest game around, and I've gotten more than a few stages in myself...but it took lots of practice, and I'm not done yet. The coin things are aggravating to pick up just right every time.

Alright...only reason Hotdog Storm gets me is death from the sides (esp. Raiden-style popcorn gunships that crowd the bottom) and surprise lasers. The green sled rider from Stage 2 often gets me as soon as he appears because I forget what one of his attacks is. Oh, and the damn item capsules. Terrible design right there that drags down the rest of the game unless you're happy with a level 1 secondary shot of a random type (you shouldn't be).

Speaking of which, the original Raiden is something aggravating. And depending on where it is in the credit cycle, patterns of enemies (even the shot pattern of the flying bomb) change.

But a pretty easy shmupz which is fun is Space Manbow. Raiden Fighters 2 / Jet are probably my best shooters for score but they're also fun.

Guxt (any version) = fun and not a very hard campaign at all. (Still haven't gotten around to beating it and opening that special mode though.)

[jepjepjep]

I don't understand how anyone can consider Sorcer Striker/Mahou Daisakusen an easy shmup. I picked up the pcb recently and it has been brutalizing me. Is it really considered on the easy side by most?

That's just Twiddle fucking with you. It's not the hardest game around, and I've gotten more than a few stages in myself...but it took lots of practice, and I'm not done yet. The coin things are aggravating to pick up just right every time.

That's good to hear. This game is kicking my ass pretty bad. Maybe I'm just used to slow bullets and I need more time to adjust to the fast snipers. This game is great though. I love the atmosphere, although all of the dragons and skeletons scare my three year old daughter. I can only play at night after she's gone to bed.

[gs68]

Gradius Gaiden is considered one of the best games in the Gradius series, if not THE easiest (at least until ReBirth came along), even though it takes picking Hardest or starting on loop 2 for the game to pose a real challenge.

[doctorx0079]

The easiest Gradius I have played is NES Gradius, by far. Lifeforce on NES is also surprisingly easy. Still fun to play if you can stand sitting through the parts where you have nothing to do.

[RNGmaster]

Guwange 360 arrange. Actually interesting scoring play, and it can help drag new shmuppers in because it isn't crazy hard like Arcade or Blue.

[Ed Oscuro]

I don't see how Galuda is easy at all. Stage 5 is a real bugger, and scoring can make any stage more annoying. Yes, you have slowdown, and the stages themselves are pretty easy, but the bosses (especially final) more than make up for that.

For a non-looping game by Cave, it's pretty easy.

For fire, it's not too hot.

[gs68]

After taking my Thunder Force III Normal 1CC and failing at a Hard 1CC, I proceeded to ragequit and never play again because it took me a week or 2 to 1CC Normal while everyone else can do it on their first or second try.

Similarly with Omega Five. I had owned the game for a month or two, then someone here comes along and brags about how he beat it on his 2nd try. I'll get around to deleting O5 sometime.

[Skykid]

Would you consider Mushihimesame Futari BL Arcade as easy? This is my first cave game I managed to 1CC and any other shmups I usualy play just kick my ass after 3rd, 4th stage.

Yes, very easy to clear, but harder to score well.

[Ed Oscuro]

Speaking of 1CCs, I beat Psychic Storm the first time I played it, without dying. Took a lot of hits and the auto-bomb thing came into play.

Game doesn't have scoring though.

Was fun all the same, but can't see myself going back to it.

[doctorx0079]

After taking my Thunder Force III Normal 1CC and failing at a Hard 1CC, I proceeded to ragequit and never play again because it took me a week or 2 to 1CC Normal while everyone else can do it on their first or second try.

Similarly with Omega Five. I had owned the game for a month or two, then someone here comes along and brags about how he beat it on his 2nd try. I'll get around to deleting O5 sometime.

One time there was some nut on this board going on about how Darius Gaiden is so easy. I still play it anyway. Even though it kicks my ass I still enjoy it. Perhaps one of these days I will figure out how to survive all the bosses.

PS: G-Darius is MUCH MUCH easier on PS1. I mean I almost 1CC'ed that version on Maniac. I'm not that good, it was just that easy. PLAY THE PS2 VERSION. Don't even bother playing the PS1 version unless you want to see the cutscenes or you're using an emulator, or you want to do Boss Rush mode like DJ Incompetent.

[R-Type]

CTRL+F "genet", No Genetos found in any page.

I liked that game, granted you need to put it on max difficulty for it be any challenging but I still liked the shooting and artistical aspect of it.

Sometimes I feel like developing skill, but sometimes I feel like breezing through a game, very overpowered.

[MathU]

One time there was some nut on this board going on about how Darius Gaiden is so easy.

Probably one of those autofire dopes that thinks they're not cheating. It's still not a walk in the park, but it does make quite a massive difference.

[Drachenherz]

CTRL+F "genet", No Genetos found in any page.

I liked that game, granted you need to put it on max difficulty for it be any challenging but I still liked the shooting and artistical aspect of it.

Sometimes I feel like developing skill, but sometimes I feel like breezing through a game, very overpowered.

Second that. It really is a nice little game, and the "evolution"-theme is very special. I liked not being able to shoot at the last boss... Instead, you just have to evolve further to conquer the last boss...

[Phoenix]

What is easy?

I see in the 1942 joint strike topic that it is seen as an easy game.

But try to not die on the highest setting. Lose 1 live? Start all over again. Still think it is to easy?


I think in shmups you have to set your own goals. Only losing 1 live, 1cc, not die at all, up your topscore not dieing.

When you play shmups like this, you still can have pleasure from an ''easy'' game.

[PainAmplifier]

Was this one not mentioned yet?

The Guardian Legend (NES)

Most of the game is pretty easy, although a couple of the boss fights can be a challenge, especially the first time you meet them. (Or a specific incarnation of them as the case may be.) But I would call this game a lot of fun despite the lack of challenge to the shooting stages.

And let's not forget that just because a game is "easy" doesn't mean that it isn't worth anything. Everyone has to start somewhere after all, and 'easy' Shmups provide a good place for new players to the genre to start and build their skills and love of the games to begin with.

If every game was "challenging" for even a hardcore super good player, then the implication is that a 'new' player is going to get creamed. And if that's their first (and only!) experience with the genre, they may never play it again. And without new players eventually the entire genre will more than likely decline until it dies out.

[Strider77]

Yes, very easy to clear, but harder to score well.

you one 1 credited it on maniac or god?

[MathU]

Karous is pretty easy to beat, but it's always a ton of fun.