Where to start...?

[SkeevyStoner]

I'm new to this site and I must say this seems like a very dedicated community. My question is what do you guys suggest I do to start getting into shmups more? Is there a certain console or gaming era you suggest? Do you guys always play with arcade sticks or controllers? I'm just trying to get a sense of where everyone is at and where I should be. Thanks

[Jockel]

Try some shooters in MAME.
To get some different types of games i'd recommend starting with:
Dodonpachi
Gunbird 2
Armed Police Batrider
R-Type Leo
Twinkle Star Sprites
Progear no Arashi

Oh and obviously, go play Mars Matrix.

Playing with a stick or a gamepad is a matter of personal preferences; but most people prefer a good arcade stick (read: with Sanwa or Seimitsu parts).

[innerpattern]

go play Raiden (I,II,DX,Fighters Jet)

and listen to whatever ROBOTRON tells you.

[sunburstbasser]

You can get by with a pad instead of a stick for less money, though honestly once you try a good stick you'll never want to go back to a pad (much less a keyboard on MAME).

For consoles, you won't go wrong with anything from Sega. Lots of great arcade ports and original games on the Saturn, some of which (Darius Gaiden, Galactic Attack) can be picked up cheap in the US and work on a US Saturn with no hassle. Dreamcast has tons of good ones as well. In both cases, to get the most you'll need to be able to play Japanese games. It isn't important how to go about doing that now, but keep it in mind if you want to play some of the best shmups.

In modern consoles, the Xbox 360 is pretty much unchallenged. I don't think PS3 has many shmups, and the Wii has maybe 2 worth playing not counting Virtual Console.

Shmups were most prevalent from about 1987 to 1995, and slowed down after that. Nowadays, there seems to be a small resurgence in the genre and there are quite a few good doujin (think of it as Japanese indy game developer) games for PC.

To start, play with MAME a bit. There are Top 25 all-time shmups threads floating around, and along with what Jockel said play anything that runs on MAME in those threads.

Happy blasting!

[BulletMagnet]

Is there a certain console or gaming era you suggest?

Everyone has different preferences, so try a bit of everything: the forum's most recent "Top 25" vote should give you some idea of where the general population stands. As far as (non-arcade) systems go, in terms of pure shmupping volume the usual recommendations are the PC Engine, Saturn, and PS2, with the 360 currently emerging...of course, you'll want import-enabled models of almost any "shmupping system" you buy.

[chempop]

A big factor for most of us is having a proper setup for an ideal experience. Lots of factors involved such as Tv/display, proper arcade stick or a solid pad, even down to what sort of chair or stool you sit on can make a difference.

Most prefer having the screen very close to them with the joystick basically directly in front of it. This setup emulates the arcade experience better than having some big TV far away from you while you are stretched out relaxing on a couch.

Another crucial element to know about is how to properly Tate your TV for games that are meant to be played on a vertical oriented screen. Some TVs don't mind being rotated a lot, while others may break. The rule to remember is that you should always unplug the TV (and leave it off for 10min) before and after you rotate it onto its side (and be VERY gental while turning and setting it down).

Having a dedicated screen for vertical games is highly recommended.

As for games it really depends on your budget. The smartest option is certainly to use Mame with a USB arcade joystick or USB Sega Saturn Pad and see what appeals to you. Another option would be to get a Japanese 360 and jump right into modern day action.

Personally I think it is important to learn the ropes on some of the older classics first. This will give you time to hone your skills a bit and figure out what's what before getting too caught up in elaborate scoring systems like many recent games seem to emphasize.

Enjoy the journey!

[MathU]

I play a massive amount of shooters on the PC with a keyboard, but I would love a controller if I found just the right one. I play perfectly fine without one though.

[hail good sir]

arrival

[TrevHead (TVR)]

Get a controller that youre happy with and stick to playing with the same controller.
Nothings worse then playing a fast shmup with a controller I dont like or just arnt used to, My old pad has just bitten the dust and im playing pritty badly with my spare.

Highly recommend you play DDP (aka dodonpachi) on Shmupmame Laggless Edition on a Tated monitor (or failing that a big TV) for more info on shmupmame theres a thread on this forum just google laggless mame, you will need to find a "Mame v0.137 romset" aswell (cant post links forum rules)

For shmup noobs I recomend you play some freeware doujin shmups as they can be handy for developing basic dodging skills, try out these great "pratice shmups" parsec 47 and rRootage by kento cho (aka aba games) and Nomltest FS (a very simple but addictive shmup)

After flirting with a few games pick one shmup you like and stick with it and see just how far you can get with it as nothing beats 1CCing a shmup or getting a good highscore when youve worked hard for it.
DDP is a good arcade game to start with, but if DDP is kicking your arse you could go for the easy route and play a freeware Cave clone by X.X games, Blue Wish Resurrection Plus is my 1st 1CC (although Blue Wish Resurrection is better imo) EDIT dont use the ship with the homing shot as itll teach you bad habits

EDIT for shmupmame use the .99 version as it allows you to use save states for DDP where the other one doesnt

[ROBOTRON]

I'm new to this site and I must say this seems like a very dedicated community. My question is what do you guys suggest I do to start getting into shmups more? Is there a certain console or gaming era you suggest? Do you guys always play with arcade sticks or controllers? I'm just trying to get a sense of where everyone is at and where I should be. Thanks

Something is happening here at Shmups11.org...people starting arrive in recorded numbers! Is it the densely packed powder which is stuffed up the nostrils, or what?

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[sunburstbasser]

Now that you've been Robotron'd, you're initiated!