Which Psikyo shmup should I get next? (Switch)

[SPM]

Hi! I'm rediscovering this genre 20 years later thanks to the Switch (and this forum), and I'm hooked!

My most played games so far are Ikaruga, Tengai, DU3 and Strikers 1945 II. Now I'm feeling like getting another Psikyo game (I also got ZG2-, played it for about 10 hours and it was fun but this version is kind of empty and lacks the scoring depth... Will need to give it a go on MAME one day).

What would you recommend? Gunbird 2 and Dragon Blaze seem to stand out more. But... are their 1st loops harder than Strikers II's? I prefer Tengai's difficulty over Strikers II's. The latter felt brutal and I had to practice some tough spots on MAME just to get a 3CC on Switch, while in Tengai I can get 2CC consistently with Junis and Ayin, (not 1CC for me yet )

Also, I don't care about their second loops, that's just crazy!

Thanks!

[Mortificator]

I like Gunbird 2 much more. They're both fairly difficult games, though. If you want something less vicious, I'd actually suggest looking at the original Gunbird.

[dmk1198]

The screaming girl puts me off gunbird

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[Wittischism]

Dragon Blaze and Gunbird 2 are both absolutely solid choices. Out of the two, GB2 has more longevity for me.

[Gamer707b]

Get yourself the Korean physical volume 2. Its got Dragon Blaze, Strikers 2, Tengai, and Gunbird 2. The best bunch of Pysiko games imo.

[chempop]

It's not Psikyo, but Crimzon Clover is on switch and it's incredible.

For Psikyo I'm partial to the Strikers1945pt1 and Gunbird 2.
I like all the sprite art in Strikers1 and the first loop is quite manageable.
Gunbird 2 is hard in comparison, but I like the different melee and charge attacks and the music is great.

[SPM]

Thanks for the replies! I should've bought Vol.2 yes, what a collection! The first entries, Strikers 1 and Gunbird 1, don't appeal to me as much, idk why.

Anyway, I just got Dragon Blaze on impulse, and almost Gunbird 2 as well hahaha but managed to control myself somehow. This game is FANTASTIC!!! It seems "easier" so far than Strikers II, since the slower bullets give you time to bomb (Strikers II tends to kill you with bombs left) and throwing the dragon is kind of OP and really fun (except when you go for the golden coins afterwards and, blinded by the shining sweet sweet coins, die inevitably from a small bullet ).

I'll end up getting Gunbird 2 at some point, but probably after Crimzon Clover and Rolling Gunner (and maybe Jamestown+ and Caladrius Blaze) in order not to get a Psikyo overload

[BIL]

Dragon Blaze is one of the great visceral STGs - the animation and sound on the Dragon Shot is juuust right, and the fountaining golden coins are yet another layer of compulsion. The loop is utter murder even by Psikyo standards, but the first is actually pretty doable, provided you smash big enemies with DS before they can turn the screen into nigh-unsurvivable bullet hell.

[Sengoku Strider]

Gunbird 2 is my favourite game on the Switch, and maybe my favourite STG overall. It's so, so good once it clicks for you. The sound design is fantastic. Dragon Blaze has really great visuals, but it hasn't hooked me yet in the 6 or 7 months I've owned it.

[Jonpachi]

I add Strikers III into the mix as well. It has the more modern feel of the later Psikyo games combined with a great variety of ships to play around with. There's also an OP "secret" ship that can help you get a feel for the game at a reduced difficulty.

You might also keep an eye out for the Vasara collection. Very Psikyo-esque gameplay, and it's often on sale for incredibly cheap ($5 for both games at times).

[PopetherevXXVIII]

Get the Collections that NIS put out.

[professor ganson]

I can't think of games that do a better job integrating a specialized proximal shot than Gunbird 2 and Dragon Blaze. I wonder whether proximal shot mechanics can ultimately be traced back to the reticle bomb shot of Xevious, the original vertical shmup.

I slightly favor Dragon Blaze over Gunbird 2 for two reasons: graphics and less tedious coin scoring mechanics. Chaining in Gunbird 2 is an aggravating affair.

[Sengoku Strider]

I slightly favor Dragon Blaze over Gunbird 2 for two reasons: graphics and less tedious coin scoring mechanics. Chaining in Gunbird 2 is an aggravating affair.

That's funny, it's the biggest thing I miss in Dragon Blaze. That coin chime is one of the best in gaming imo.

[To Far Away Times]

I like Dragon Blaze the best out of Psikyo's games, but I don't think any of them are really all that great unfortunately.

Dragon Blaze starts off promisingly enough. Has good aesthetics, has some elements of bullet hell that are actually quite nice and feels modern-ish, but then the impossible to dodge on reaction patterns start. So in the end you just get a bit of bullet hell mixed with the psikyo cheapness. I see a lot of elements where Dragon Blaze could have been like a Diet Dr. Shasta version of the Mushi games, and I think that would have been a better direction.

[Sengoku Strider]

Dragon Blaze starts off promisingly enough. Has good aesthetics, has some elements of bullet hell that are actually quite nice and feels modern-ish, but then the impossible to dodge on reaction patterns start. So in the end you just get a bit of bullet hell mixed with the psikyo cheapness.

Enh, I don't think it's reasonable to suggest an STG having memorization elements constitutes cheapness. It's been a standard of the genre since like Gradius. Nobody's 1cc-ing any serious STG on their first playthrough, and likely not their 100th playthrough, so I'm not sure it matters much in the end. It just becomes one more element of routing.

[professor ganson]

Yeah, as someone with poor reaction time, I like the memorizable patterns in Psikyo games. Not that I'm good at memorizing them, but it makes me feel like I've got a chance in the long run.

[Shelcoof]

Was about to recommend Dragon Blaze but you ended up getting it.

My favorite out of all the games that followed by Gunbird 2