Best shmup's first stage?

[DenimDemon]

Bio Hazard Battle (always enjoyed that free fall entering the atmosphere stage and again, leaving the mother ship).

Funny, I really think this is one of the all time worst first stages to an otherwise good game. Just not much going on, nothing in the background... I really think BHB is underrated but it makes a bad first impression.

You go vertical down while most shooters go hori right, right away. And we're descending into the atmosphere. I think its cool and the music is sick. Perfect while having a beer. But i agree there's not much going on.

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[SF Kosmo]

Bio Hazard Battle (always enjoyed that free fall entering the atmosphere stage and again, leaving the mother ship).

Funny, I really think this is one of the all time worst first stages to an otherwise good game. Just not much going on, nothing in the background... I really think BHB is underrated but it makes a bad first impression.

You go vertical down while most shooters go hori right, right away. And we're descending into the atmosphere. I think its cool and the music is sick. Perfect while having a beer. But i agree there's not much going on.

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The concept is cool, and the music is great but it needs some set pieces or something.

[Licorice]

I guess the point is to familiarize yourself with your ships color weapons and also to warm up. It's very short. I quite like it too.

As for OP's question, my favorites are all the ones where you can choose the first stage or it's randomized.

If that answer is not acceptable probably Gradius II (PCE), Salamander (PCE), or Biometal for horis and Kyukyoku Tiger, Same^3, or Batrider for verts.

[Mischief Maker]

RefleX definitely, both in terms of a setpiece and an introduction to the kinds of attacks you'll be reflecting and their various effects. And that prism diffusion effect when the boss' super-beam hits your shield still looks amazing.

The Siter Skain Alltynex trilogy (the current windows version) is just wonderfully cinematic all the way through, complete with the dynamic music.

[Queen Charlene]

Nobody will be surprised to know that I really like Mars Matrix S1. If you're not trying to score at all it's quite easy, it also is relatively easy to learn to chain sections of it, and not too hard to full chain it so it was a very gradual transition from survival to scoring as I was learning the game. I was probably full chaining it by the time I got my first clear. I've also gradually optimized it more and more over time, and there are are still some parts that I haven't figured out how to make the most of. It's also interesting enough (and short enough) that it doesn't drag, but not so hard to full chain that I have to restart it a ton of times.

hard agree

[Frederik]

Batrider and Ibara have already been mentioned many times, and yeah, those are fantastic. Very short, very dense. You also really get the sense of "flying into" the world. Approaching via the harbor in Ibara and entering the city in Batrider give them this special "let´s go!" feeling.

I like Ketsui for the same reason. You come in from the sea and into the city, like you´re invading enemy territory.

I also like Crimzon Clover which definitely has a strong Raizing vibe in the first stage. Doing that double break segment when you enter the second half of the stage above the water with tons of popcorn enemies rushing in is a great moment.

[Haddock]

For me personally I was very impressed when the first stage of Radiant Silvergun started! I had never experienced anything so epic before, the first stage music and the voice over at the start just drew me in completely. Goes to show the power of music I suppose. Especially after the whole anime introduction and the way the timeline works (the first stage you play is chronologically the third stage). Beyond that, I like how it introduces you slowly to the first enemies and takes its time to let you gain some composure about what you're supposed to do even if the game never explicitly tells you (to chain).

Now obviously Radiant Silvergun has plenty of flaws and just like Ikaruga (though probably slightly less so) it is overhyped. But for me, it's one of the best games I have ever played and that first level had a lot to do with it. A big part of this is the fact that I play a lot of genres and I generally play games for the "experience". I'm not a traditional arcade gamer I suppose, so a game that reels me in with its aesthetic and story etc. usually has a leg up for me. This is also why I desperately want to play Mushihimesama Futari, because the presentation is really good Not to say I don't appreciate Truxton or Batsugun or whatever, I do. But having a game that tries to create a world and tries to be a gesamtkunstwerk AND has good gameplay mechanics (to me) will always have a leg up to a game that only has good gameplay mechanics. Unfortunately it's rare to find shmup that does both, it's just not economically feasible to put a lot of money into art design and composition and story for such a niche genre. That makes me sad

[To Far Away Times]

Now obviously Radiant Silvergun has plenty of flaws and just like Ikaruga (though probably slightly less so) it is overhyped. But for me, it's one of the best games I have ever played and that first level had a lot to do with it. A big part of this is the fact that I play a lot of genres and I generally play games for the "experience". I'm not a traditional arcade gamer I suppose, so a game that reels me in with its aesthetic and story etc. usually has a leg up for me. This is also why I desperately want to play Mushihimesama Futari, because the presentation is really good Not to say I don't appreciate Truxton or Batsugun or whatever, I do. But having a game that tries to create a world and tries to be a gesamtkunstwerk AND has good gameplay mechanics (to me) will always have a leg up to a game that only has good gameplay mechanics. Unfortunately it's rare to find shmup that does both, it's just not economically feasible to put a lot of money into art design and composition and story for such a niche genre. That makes me sad

Artwork, music, and presentation matter. A lot. More than we usually give it credit for.

[Haddock]

Artwork, music, and presentation matter. A lot. More than we usually give it credit for.

Oh yes, and I think that's partly why the Treasure shmups have fared so well within the mainstream (well, specifically Ikaruga) even though I doubt that many people actually play them proper (as in play for score) besides a hardcore crowd. They're really Treasure games first and foremost and shmups second. But nonetheless they have their specific identity (just like Cave games do, etc.) and go beyond that by creating a ambience within their games that attracts a lot of people, albeit superficially. Ikaruga has an interesting world, it's barren and abides by design by subtraction principles, much like games such as ICO and Shadow of the Colossus do. There is barely any story explicitly told, but much of it is kind of left to our interpretation. Ironically Radiant Silvergun is pretty much the opposite, to the point of being a little too dramatic sometimes. Maximalist vs minimalist. Makes me wonder what Iuchi has planned in that regard for Ubusana (if that ever comes..).

On that note: I haven't played many Cave games, but I'm dying to play Daioujou if that hopefully ever gets ported proper. It looks very appealing, but aesthetically swell as the gameplay. It just looks...like the best cave game. Very smooth. The PS2 cover had me intrigued ever since I saw it, I guess I'm just sensitive for that kind of thing

[mercuriusfm]

I would say a few that stick in my head are...

Salamander (inside a creatures body!)
Einhander (awesome cyberpunk city)
Thunderforce IV (Sunset, ocean, huge feeling)

I always liked Gradius III’s look too. The sand thing with space lions just felt so... cosmic and cool.

[BitGid]

R*Type would be a good one to start. It's more memorization than dodging bullets but you get to do a little bullet herding. It starts getting really hard on stage 5 though. It's old but I still love playing it.