Why shmups are such a niche genre

[BareKnuckleRoo]

I read that [Tales of Destiny Remake] is quite different from the original... so it's not a perfect Remake

The game with the best combat in the series isn't exactly like the clunkier PS1 version therefore it's imperfect? Talk about impossibly high standards.

[Steven]

I still find it amusing that the PS1 version of Tales of Destiny is somehow even more awkward and clunky than SFC Phantasia. They took one of the absolute worst games in the series at that point in time and remade it as the best one and it's still the best one. The difference is unbelievable. It's the best remake ever created.

Is a small aesthetic improvement considered a Remake? and if it is IDENTICAL to the original, is it a remake? And if it has changes, is it a Reboot or Remake? I do not know
However, this was not the focus of the topic

In the case of Sonic CD it's a complete rebuild of the game in a completely different engine with completely different code that was made without the original source code. The art is mostly the same (plus Tails), the music is the same, but everything else is a complete recreation from nothing other than really good knowledge of the game. I don't know if the source code for the original still exists, as Sega reportedly lost at least some source code some time ago.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Fortunately ToD PS1 was the last of the "bad" Tales games in terms of game design, with the rest generally being much better mechanically. The fact that you could only play as other characters by plugging into P2 and using the second player was very odd. Legendia's no multiplayer and Symphonia GC's "camera won't pan out in multiplayer" were also a bit ick, but that's only re: cooperative play.

[m.sniffles.esq]

It's kinda depressing that you apparently still keep up with your abusive old boss, though

I like JJ...
I mean, I'm not currently doing anything that he would be any 'connection' for (even if I was, I'm not sure I would use him because lord knows what he would say). Just because someone is a blowhard/curmudgeon doesn't mean they're abusive. He could have <i>easily</i> got an intern looking to start their big animation career to shoot cels/tape film together. Yet he paid someone to do it. I think that speaks WAY more to what kind of person he is than a grumpy demeanor.

(sorry, I realize this is like two weeks old. But I just saw it)

[Randorama]

I didn't know of the existence of this thread and I stumbled upon it by chance. So, I think that I can answer a 14-years old question via a simple answer:

Because shmups Suck.

Nobody plays this kind of game for fun; shmup players are just self-administering their due and just punishment for the horrendous sins they commit day in, day out.

End of debate, and you can thank me later for finally showing you the one and only truth.

[The_Fix]

Because people are pussies and don't want to put in the work needed to get to that sweet sweet 1cc ambrosia.

[neorichieb1971]

Shmups are a product of their time. It is the type of game that fit in the box at the right time and was part of the evolution in the 8bit 16bit era. Once you filled the screen with as much shmupage as possible there wasn't anything left to prove in the genre. Other genres had a higher ceiling of creativity in the late 90's.

Of course, some folk were growing up with it, wanted to stay with it, but now we are the minority. Of course, a few newcomers came along but no longer make up the masses.

Apart from a few switch releases I cannot remember a shmup for a modern day console that I have bought.

[MJR]

I can't be bothered to read 45+ pages of opinions - Did anyone ever bother to debunk the myth that shmups "didn't want to cater to players who want hour-long cutscenes"

Because it's a myth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9BicddeXdg

[cody]

The ridiculous popularity of Vampire Survivors seems like an opportunity for cross-pollinating some of those ideas with shmups.
Gunfield is one of the few examples I'm aware of, surprised there aren't more given how many VS clones popped up.