What do others think of shmups?

[Squire Grooktook]

My mum visited me a few months ago. I was playing a credit Dimahoo on my Astro City cabinet when she passes the cab and says:
"Oh! Is it Star Wars?"
"Close", was my answer.

Han Solo-Bang my favorite star war.

[ratikal]

"How can you play this!? This is sensory overload!"
- Mommy, while I'm playing Ketsuipachi in Stage 3.

To be honest, that stage is epileptic.

[mastermx]

I've had mad reactions when I'm in double break mode in CCWI. Family can't believe that I can follow what's going on on the screen. They claim it gives them a headache. As simple as shmups are, people still cannot grasp them. When people see me playing dark souls 2 though, they say things like "this looks like a cool game, what is this".

[DMC]

My mum visited me a few months ago. I was playing a credit Dimahoo on my Astro City cabinet when she passes the cab and says:
"Oh! Is it Star Wars?"
"Close", was my answer.

Han Solo-Bang my favorite star war.

Maybe she knows more than what shows.

[mehguy]

My mum visited me a few months ago. I was playing a credit Dimahoo on my Astro City cabinet when she passes the cab and says:
"Oh! Is it Star Wars?"
"Close", was my answer.

haha lol my mom's like that too.

Mum: "Is that Sonic?"
me: "um, no it's not,"

(it was klonoa)

[guigui]

My wife says "it's always the same", and actually, it is.
Also, she likes the music. Yesterday, she sang the intro of Dodonpachi boss music when an alarm rang on the TV. Greatest wife ever

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKqqM1LW_3U

[Synnae]

Mum: "Is that Sonic?"
me: "um, no it's not,"

(it was klonoa)

At least it's not like my mother who thinks almost every Platformer I play is Mario. XD

[Obiwanshinobi]

They don't give a fuck.

[cave hermit]

My dad saw me playing Ketsui once and asked if I was playing Donkey Kong.
Then again he mistook Minecraft for Donkey Kong also.
Really everything is either Donkey Kong or Punch Out to him.

[Mr Halibut]

My Dad refers to all arcade machines as "one armed bandits".

[Captain]

Mum: "Is that Sonic?"
me: "um, no it's not,"

(it was klonoa)

At least it's not like my mother who thinks almost every Platformer I play is Mario. XD

Yea thats just a joke that running among people such as your (and my) mother. Trust me, she knows perfectly well that it isn't Mario.

For laughs, go play a mario game that isn't a platformer in front of her.

[mehguy]

Basically, every shmup out there is referred to space invaders or Galaga to people that have never played a video game.

[Pretas]

My friend's sister mistook Symphony of the Night for Mortal Kombat once. Not that far of a stretch if you only have a vague idea of what MK looks like (side view, large sprites and blood).

The few times my father has seen STG-style games, he referred to them all as "Space Invaders." The last game he played was Riven in the late 1990s.

[jasoncslaughter]

I had a couple of friends over at Thanksgiving last year who swore that shmups were impossible. The funny thing is that after I showed them a few basic techniques and specific strategies for the games they were playing, they started getting better almost immediately and I couldn't tear them away from the machines.

[Lightforce]

I think most people do have a secret boner for shooting games, but playing a different game from the rest of the world is a very heretical thing.

This.


My local retro game shop has Aero Fighters 2 loaded into their 1 slot MVS cab. I was in the store over the weekend, and played a couple of credits. Started my second run, a teenage kid walks up, and watches me play a good ten minutes. Curious to see why he was interested, I asked him if he played shmups. His response, "HA, NO. I'd only play games like that to waste time." Shrugged, and finished the credit.

That kid pretty much sums up the general gaming populace opinion on STGs from my experience. Always viewed as a curious diversion, rather than a legitimate type of game to sink money and time into.

[Doctor Butler]

"HA, NO. I'd only play games like that to waste time." Shrugged, and finished the credit.

That kid pretty much sums up the general gaming populace opinion on STGs from my experience. Always viewed as a curious diversion, rather than a legitimate type of game to sink money and time into.

That's funny, since that sentiment basically sums up my feelings about non-arcade games.

Those "engrossing and immersive" story-heavy games always seemed like surrogate artificial-lives for friend-less basement dwelling nerds to fill that "void" in their empty existence.

[nasty_wolverine]

Those "engrossing and immersive" story-heavy games always seemed like surrogate artificial-lives for friend-less basement dwelling nerds to fill that "void" in their empty existence.

[Nwodatek]

Those "engrossing and immersive" story-heavy games always seemed like surrogate artificial-lives for friend-less basement dwelling nerds to fill that "void" in their empty existence.

Honestly, this is the worst thing I read in a while. You can enjoy a good story-driven game and not be a "friend-less basement dwelling nerd".

[Lilium]

I'd rather not attach such labels to specific types of games. One could easily also assume that shmups are only for autistic loners with no self-confidence and a desperate urge (that she/he may not recognize) to at least prove themselves at something and having that something coincidentally be something nobody else wants to play so that you can be the best at it.

I'd rather say that's probably not true for most people, just like i'd like to say that most people probably do like to indulge in some escapism to a foreign fantastical world. Even if you have friends, real life can be outrageously mundane and you're not allowed to go nuts in it so that sort of immersive videogames do have their places even if you aren't dwelling in your mom's basement.

[Squire Grooktook]

You can enjoy a good story-driven game and not be a "friend-less basement dwelling nerd".

No, it's completely true. I enjoy both gameplay and story driven games, and I have no friends whatsoever. Obviously this is proof one or both of them are to blame.

[Zahaele]

Among the people I know and associate with, shmups are generally tolerated or liked. Most of my friends, being gamers themselves, tend to have some respect for shmup players and the like because of how hard the genre is. I'm not totally sure if they understand the appeal of them or not, but they seem to. They definitely think they're too hard for them, though.

Also, my mom, by virtue of having grown up with 2 gamers, generally likes video games (although usually not rpg, fps, or multiplayer-only games, since that's not what her kids used to play). She usually likes watching shmups, but like most everyone I know, doesn't want to actually play them (she has an excuse, though; she's overall pretty bad at video games and I would not expect her to do anything but credit feed after the first stage, at best).

[Oniros]

The only friend who has ever played shmups with me thinks they are insanely difficult. We we're playing Akai Katana Slash...

[Captain]

Games with great story are like books. You don't have to be a nerd to enjoy books. (OR..DO...YOU...)

I still prefer blowing stuff up though.

[gray117]

He seems to enjoy them, keeps him quiet, good form him ... looks difficult though and sci fi... and he's got that joystick/cab/rotated tv... probably expensive/annoying... does he need a moment or are we off out?

Thing is, unless you're playing, or pretty into the mechanics, for all of its showiness and momentary appeal, a shmup is generally/necessarily repetitive, a removed perspective, little obvious exploration/revelation, with little/no social interaction, and not a good spectator proposition.

There is a ludic narrative and craft that can be a spectacular performance; but for all of its simplicity, it is not commonly a shared experience that is easily related/appreciable.

Most of us have tried to run, we kind of know what we're looking at when we see usian bolt do the 100m, seeing the timer/score is easy to relate to and even exciting. Most people have no idea what they're looking at when there's a sweet chain going on in that game with an incomprehensible name, let alone deduce how much time they'll need to invest if they wanted to appreciate it.

[pawwa]

I was playing Mushihimesama Futari 1.5 and DoDonpachi Saidaioujou with my younger brother (27 years old) just a few days ago, and although he plays games that I guess most of shmupers wouldn't like (FIFA, etc), he actually liked the appeal of both.

As he progressed through these games, he understood that there's something really provoking and interesting in dodging all the insane bullet patterns. He especially liked DoDonpachi Saidaioujou (for nicer visuals), but was complaining about the non-stop epileptic scenery.

So, I guess people just need to play a few.

[ACSeraph]

Most of my friends appreciate that shmups are serious bizness to me, and understand (based on the sheer magnitude of my game collection) that I have probably played so many games that incomprehensible Japanese epilepsy simulators are the only things that can get me off anymore.

So basically my friends think shmups are the weird porn of the gaming universe, but they understand why I play them.

My girlfriend actually decided to give Eschatos a go on easy last night and really enjoyed it. She's been around me long enough to understand how sacred the one credit rule is, which goes a long way to helping her understand the appeal when she plays by herself. She actually asked me what would be a very very beginner friendly place to start if she wanted to actually see one of these games to completion.

/buys-a-ring

[amdiggywhut]

incomprehensible Japanese epilepsy simulators

Between the music and the visuals (moreso with Cave games), my girlfriend definitely understands the appeal of these games for me. She's the only person who's ever really around when I play them.

Unrelated, but I remember telling an ex of mine that I'd marry her if she could beat Dark Souls. Thank God she didn't take me seriously.

[nasty_wolverine]

Japanese epilepsy simulators

Quick, someone.... MAKE THIS GAME!!!

/buys-a-ring

/buys-an-egret

[Pretas]

Japanese epilepsy simulators

Quick, someone.... MAKE THIS GAME!!!

[XoPachi]

Interestingly enough, from my experience this is a genre that gets the LEAST amount of hate today. Even non players I know of look at them and people who play them with this mix of curiosity and respect. I frequent LAN parties and take a copy of something random with me like DoDonPachi 5. I HOPE for people to want to join in, but they usually just sit and watch "this crazy ass Galaga".