Little help?

[MendosaPORK]

So I was thinking about getting myself a 360 shmup before Christmas, could you please describe the games below (such as how many modes it has, is is beginner friendly and rate if from 1-10 maybe?). I have Deathsmiles, DoDonPachi Resurrection and Guwange and I used to have Pink Sweets/Muchi Muchi Pork, but sold it. The games I am interested in are pretty much every region free or released in UK shmup.
- Under Defeat HD
- ESPgaluda II
- Mushihimesama Futari
- Eschatos
- Akai Katana
- Bullet Soul
missing something?

Thanks.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Radiant Silvergun? Although I read it's slowdown-free and extra laggy, it's reportedly nothing disastrous. Ikaruga? Not exactly a perfect port either, but also playable. R-Type Dimensions? The remade graphics sure look good. WarTech: Senko no Ronde? No real idea about this one.

[KAI]

[Deca]

Go with Mushihimesama Futari, if you're looking for the most content out of a single purchase along with beginner friendliness then you can't really beat it.

The game comes with the original and xbox 360 (HD sprites and possibly backgrounds as well) modes, those play identically. There's an arrange and beginner mode. The main game has Original, Maniac, and Ultra modes, each of which presents you with different scoring mechanics and completely different patterns. It really is like 3 complete games. Then if you pick up the Black Label dlc (which I would highly recommend) you get those 3 modes again with some new scoring stuff and retuned gameplay. Futari Black Label Original is a very beginner friendly game, it won't give you the 1CC as easily as something like Death Smiles or Dai Fukkatsu Strong but it's very attainable and does a good job of teaching the basics of streaming and micrododging.

Also worth mentioning that the port job by M2 is nothing short of flawless, I'd say the only thing that comes close is Raiden Fighters Aces. Tons of display options with great filters, even some crazy ones like a misaligned CRT and the option to simulate title screen burn-in.

[CptRansom]

Eschatos beats Futari for content.

Original scoring is easy to pick up. Advanced scoring is there when you want more challenge/weirdness. Both modes have four difficulties, and Hardest definitely lives up to its name. Time Attack and Endless Modes are also good times.

Judgment Silversword and Cardinal Sins are also included on the disc.

[shmuppyLove]

If you want a really great shmup with lots of replayability, I highly recommend Gal*Gun.

[Bananamatic]

pink sweets is awesome for beginners

[moh]

If you want a really great shmup with lots of replayability, I highly recommend Gal*Gun.

mmhm, great one.

PLENTY OF EXTENDS.

[To Far Away Times]

Get Futari. Get Black Label. Play forever.

[Softdrink 117]

Following your criteria:
Espgaluda II:
Comes with Arcade release, an Arrange, Novice mode, and Black Label.
Beginner friendly ~5 (Scoring system can seem very complicated, and although it allows for more variety than the DDP games there are a lot of weird quirks. The 1up is also really frustrating to get, which makes 1CC runs all the harder)
Difficulty ~7 (Very playable, especially once you understand the systems, but it is a very challenging game overall.)
I haven't tried novice modes, so I can't comment on those.

Akai Katana:
Comes with arcade (Origin) mode, a 16:9 revised version of the arcade mode, and a 16:9 arrange mode.
Beginner friendly ~7.5 (Mostly a straightforward game, but you might get hung up a little on the alternate modes, since they add a lot of new mechanics to the game)
Difficulty ~4.5 (IMO Origin is the easiest CAVE clear; I did it in a day. The other modes vary a bit)

Mushishime sama Futari:
Comes with arcade v. 1.5 (Original, Maniac, and Ultra), Xbox 360 HD mode (which has very little difference from arcade mode other than new shiny graphics), novice mode (Original, Maniac, and Ultra), and an Arrange mode. Black Label is DLC with three gameplay modes.
Beginner friendly ~9.0 (Very straightforward. The only things you'll need to pick up on your own are some of the more advanced scoring strategies, everything else is pick-up-and-play.)
Difficulty N/A (Varies wildly.)

Those are the only ones on your list I own. If I had to give a recommendation I would say Futari; the variety of gameplay modes and the simple game mechanics make it a no-brainer. As a second choice I would go for Akai Katana.