Good beginner shmups on NES?

[atheistgod1999]

Is gradius good to start with, or is it too hard? I've managed to get up to the level 3 boss (the one after the Easter Island heads).

P.S.: sorry for making so many threads. I just don't have much to talk about yet because I haven't beaten a single shmup.

[SMC]

Only if you don't die

[eebrozgi]

Consider Salamander/Life Force, since it's a lot of the same thing as Gradius but with the possibility to grab your options after death.

I just don't have much to talk about yet because I haven't beaten a single shmup.

I haven't beaten many either, but I don't think beating is required to talk about the cool games you like.

[OmegaFlareX]

Try the PC-Engine version if you can, it has an extra level and better graphics (minus the slowdown).

[Kollision]

Gun.smoke
Sky Shark
Star Soldier
Twin Cobra
Xevious

all good too

[pegboy]

I'd say yes, but like others I think Life Force (NES) / Salamander (Famicom) is much more accessible than Gradius. And you don't need to beat the game to talk about it lol. Another great game by Konami is Crisis Force, but that's exclusive to Famicom.

[STGAlmond]

Gradius for NES is one I owned and played as a child. It is frustraiting to recover sometimes, but the konami code can be done a few times to power yourself up. Until I got older I pretty much played until first death and if recovery was hard I'd do the code. I also really like the first level song.

Some here mentioned life force/salamander. I have only seen that one via emulation and not all the way through. Initial impression would seem to support the notion that it would be easier if this is an option.

[Perikles]

I'd definitely say that NES Gradius is a great game for beginners. I'm also convinced that it is overall easier to recover from Gradius than it is in Salamander/Life Force: while there are a few stages in the latter where recovery is easily doable (stage 4 for example) you're simply out of luck when you die in other parts - try to get back on your feet in stage 3, for example. Every checkpoint in the NES Gradius hands out enough resources to be conquered, on the other hand, although some are admittedly much tougher than other. But there's no spot where you're almost bound to die multiple times in a row, unlike Salamander/Life Force.

Gradius II on the Famicom is also beginner-friendly. Gyruss is considerably tougher, but also an amazing 8-bit port, I highly recommend it!

[Austin]

Just about every NA shmup release on the NES is beginner friendly. The genre has come a long way since then. If you are unfamiliar with the genre, you are going to have to practice regardless.

[ACSeraph]

If you are unfamiliar with the genre, you are going to have to practice regardless.

Pretty much this. Gradius NES is relatively easy, especially compared to most of the other games in the series, but it's still hard for beginners because the genre itself is just hard.

Practice and you will get it down I think, helps that in NES Gradius the shield protects your entire ship rather than just the front, making it much easier than the arcade version.

Also aside from being relatively easy, Gradius NES is just genuinely an awesome game. Definitely one of my top favorites on the console. And as everyone said, Salamander and Gradius II are also great on NES. Those 3 games are an excellent introduction to the series and classic hori shooting in general.

[Obiwanshinobi]

I've no idea how easy to beat it is, but Star Force (Famicom and NES got a different port each) is something of a beginner itself; quite the proto-Caravan shmup. It holds up, too.

[Squire Grooktook]

The American Nes version of Star Force is considered to be rediuclously brutal. Definitely not beginner stuff.

I kind of lean towards Life Force myself, but Nes Gradius is cool too.

[Perikles]

Yeah, the 8-bit ports of Star Force are just as insanely difficult as the arcade game. Without a modicum of doubt among the hardest classic shooters out there, you'll have to do a lot of routing, memorization and familiarization with the enemy patterns before you even stand a chance.

[OmKol]

Yea, NES Star Force is definitely one of the hardest (if not the hardest) NES/Famicom shmup ever. It requires heavy memorization, skill and luck.
Gradius 1 is a great choice for beginners - it's short, fair and fun. But every other Konami shmup is great too.

[BrianC]

I've no idea how easy to beat it is, but Star Force (Famicom and NES got a different port each)

The NES version has a lot of differences from the JP version, but as I mentioned before in another topic, the US version still uses the JP version as a basis. The US verison is an altered version of the JP version, not a completely different port. From what I have seen in videos, the US version looks to be more brutal than the JP version. One video author claimed that the JP version is easy, but I'm not sure if that is true.

[copy-paster]

RECCA is the most accessible for newbies, though.

[Squire Grooktook]

^^^Why?

Recca is fairly tough, has a difficulty wall pretty early (stage 3), and you need to figure out how to use the bomb properly before you can even have a chance.

[trap15]

Recca is super hard, I'd never recommend it to a new player. Gradius II would probably be my #1 recommendation for a beginner NES shooter.

[OmKol]

One video author claimed that the JP version is easy, but I'm not sure if that is true.

I think it's me because I didn't find any other NES Star Force clear (easy to recognize by title screen). JP Star Force is maybe not THAT easy but some enemies attacks is easier to dodge. Also smaller hitboxes, faster ship, more manipulations with enemies possible - you can notice in my video a trick when sometimes a player ship flies around the enemies which makes the stage easier because next enemies goes to the next stage. A stage length is a very complex thing in Star Force - it depends on time, on amount of destroyed enemies and maybe on amount of destroyed B/H-blocks.
I can record a JP Star Force all stages clear after doing some important things.

Gradius has easier mechanics and overall it's easier than Recca.

[Obscura]

Abadox has a weird difficulty curve, but aside from one nasty bit about half-way through stage 2, it's quite beginner friendly IMO.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

The USA region port of Gun-Nac is a fun shmup romp on the ol' NES.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[davyK]

NES Gradius is tough - but it manages to remain highly enjoyable. No mean feat - very skilfully created.

Yea, NES Star Force is definitely one of the hardest (if not the hardest) NES/Famicom shmup ever. It requires heavy memorization, skill and luck.
Gradius 1 is a great choice for beginners - it's short, fair and fun. But every other Konami shmup is great too.

Interesting - I have only played the Caravan Shooting Collection version of this on the SNES. Going by what is being said about the NES version then the CSC version must have been adjusted down a bit in difficulty - it is highly enjoyable and entertaining - quite manageable. Maybe it is based on the JPN version? Makes sense since CSC is a JPN release. Might be considered too easy by many experienced shmuppers I'm guessing. Don't think CSC was received all that well but I like it.

[Perikles]

Going by what is being said about the NES version then the CSC version must have been adjusted down a bit in difficulty - it is highly enjoyable and entertaining - quite manageable.

I don't know about manageable. All versions of Star Force start out fairly docile before they show their real face, the SFC version included. At some point you'll get swarmed by blazing fast shrapnels, bullet-spewing little ships and incredibly dangerous set-ups of different enemy types either way, Star Force is plain mean.

[davyK]

Hmmm.. It's just I found that I got further on the SNES version than in any other version I've tried. I find the arcade version brutal though.

[Cee]

Definitely Gradius 2 as previously mentioned, it's a perfect beginner game that will still be challenging enough for you.

[AxelMill]

It's only half a vertical shmup, but The Guardian Legend is pretty amazing, and easy, considering there's a lifebar (wait for it, the reason will be explained after this very dot--->). The other half is top-down Metroidvania exploration.
If you can't bring yourself to play the latter, just input "TGL" as password and you're good to go. Have fun going through the 21 stages it offers.
It's pretty cheap, too, if you're going to buy it.