The Health Benefits of Shoot 'em up Games.

[Sandrabak]

We often discuss the technical aspects of shmups on this forum, but have we ever considered the potential health and beauty benefits of playing these games? Could the hand-eye coordination required in games like R-Type or Gradius contribute to improved cognitive function and stress relief, leading to a healthier and more beautiful mind?

[BulletMagnet]

This is obviously a spambot post but I approved it because I want to see your well-considered, good-faith replies. Brighten my weekend.

[Lemnear]

paradoxically, only when you overcome a difficult part or a very strong boss there is that sense of "well-being", but the accumulated stress is derived from the game itself in the end (SHMUPS//Soulslike/etc.)
Stress-free are other games honestly.

If anything SHMUPS have the "in the zone" effect like Tetris or racing arcades. So more than "relaxing" they are used to get trippy ahah (at least for me).
I don't know if they are truly stress-relieving at the same time, or if they just put it on hold.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

The obvious positive merits of increased "hand & eye coordination" and "faster reflexes overall" -- has saved me more than once during sudden defensive driving maneuvers to save my ass going home/driving in general.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[NYN]

Incontestable for Man Health, while highly absorbing of morbid influences, and cultivating that special flavour of society outcast this reality strongly favours!

TLDR: Dig'em!!

[Lander]

We - that is to say, the set of users with >1 posts...

I see it as a general hand/eye and mental sharpness thing. If we are what we repeatedly do, then repeatedly engaging with immediate, systemically complex challenges is going to have some positive effect in that sense - like the classical view of Sudoku and crossword puzzles, but faster paced and more explosive.

The obvious positive merits of increased "hand & eye coordination" and "faster reflexes overall" -- has saved me more than once during sudden defensive driving maneuvers to save my ass going home/driving in general.

Indeed, I've heard some downright harrowing do-or-die highway drivin' stories that end with nobody hurt and a "thank goodness the Burnout player was driving".

Though it's not a hard and fast rule. I've experienced the opposite first-hand - hitched a ride to work in my friend's car (who used to thrash me in most mechanically challenging games,) and he almost rear-ended someone at speed due to daydreaming.
Safe to say, the rest of the ride was deathly silent, and was not repeated in the future

[BrainΦΠΦTemple]

due to the aburdly demanding levels of skill, reflexes, memorizatiOn, strategizing, etc., despite even the possibility of having a genetic predisposition for it, you're probably going to be less likely to develop dementia when you get older, and shmups probably help significantly w/ improving memory in general. also, they're stressful at 1st, but after a while of playing, you eventually can achieve zen meditative experiences while being in the middle of a 1cc/superplay.
i hOpe this helps, mr. spambot ^-^

[PC Engine Fan X!]

due to the aburdly demanding levels of skill, reflexes, memorizatiOn, strategizing, etc., despite even the possibility of having a genetic predisposition for it, you're probably going to be less likely to develop dementia when you get older, and shmups probably help significantly w/ improving memory in general. also, they're stressful at 1st, but after a while of playing, you eventually can achieve zen meditative experiences while being in the middle of a 1cc/superplay.
i hOpe this helps, mr. spambot ^-^

The zen meditative experiences of such 1CC attempts back in the 1980s and into the 1990s that world-class arcade gamer superstars describe as "being in the zone" -- a state of over-coming whatever the CPU throws at you type of situation all in real time -- the world-class arcade gamer whom knows said arcade game title forwards & backwards to maximize scores to the hilt & still overcoming the unsurmountable odds of actually "beating the CPU at it's own game" (which is a feat unto itself and still rather impressive, nevertheless and once achieved, consider it "a job well done/a well-deserved triumph completed" as there's nothing else left to do/attempt, gameplaying-wise, when the words of "Game Over" finally appears on-screen).

Of course, there are the many uncountable failures leading unto the "perfect 1CC attempt" as the ugly odds of achieving that ever-so quite elusive 1CC are far greater in reality -- it's a given in this day of age. The major incentive of achieving such a 1CC feat back in the 1980s-1990s, was the glaring fact of spending "real hard-earned money" which forced said arcade gamer to get better at said committed arcade game title with the least amount of money spent as playing arcade games was considered an "expensive hobby/endeavor" back in those days of early arcade gaming lore (not to mention the significant amount of time and dedication spent to master said arcade game title as well). Some world-class arcade gamers even bought said arcade game cabinet to hone their craft at home and return to the local arcade joint to dazzle the local arcade hangout crowds with their expertise, mastery and of course, bragging rights on the local arcade's high score list prominently displayed at the front entrance for all to see/admire/compete against.

Sure, I've been there "in the zone" with several arcade game cabinets during those years many moons ago in my younger days when "hand & eye coordination levels" was at peak form/at it's best (much to the chagrin/loss of "potential earnable profits" with the indie arcade operators/owners with their arcade game cabs out on their usual "street locations" -- "a quarter earned is still a quarter earned, profit-wise" in retrospect/hindsight nowadays). It is what it is.

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The old adage/advice of "Practice makes perfect" rings so true these days, especially within the arcade stg genre and arcade game titles in general. So be it.
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PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[orange808]

Anyone else getting their lowest resting heartbeat of the day, besides sleep playing games? I don't know if that's a health benefit. It's not exercise, that's for sure.

My watch counted one session as a nap.

[To Far Away Times]

Playing through Thunderforce III will put a few hairs on your chest.

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

due to the aburdly demanding levels of skill, reflexes, memorizatiOn, strategizing, etc., despite even the possibility of having a genetic predisposition for it, you're probably going to be less likely to develop dementia when you get older, and shmups probably help significantly w/ improving memory in general. also, they're stressful at 1st, but after a while of playing, you eventually can achieve zen meditative experiences while being in the middle of a 1cc/superplay.
i hOpe this helps, mr. spambot ^-^

Good points, though I'd like to add that for me, these games rarely have relaxing effects, nor do I play them to that end - I want to be stressed as fuck when I play bullet hell games, but for that to be a positive thing I have to at least be moderately successful, which again means I can only really play them when I'm already relaxed because my meagre skills virtually disappear when I'm not at a 100%. I've stopped playing at the ends of busy days since it will in most cases lead to rage quitting inside of ten minutes.

[BrainΦΠΦTemple]

due to the aburdly demanding levels of skill, reflexes, memorizatiOn, strategizing, etc., despite even the possibility of having a genetic predisposition for it, you're probably going to be less likely to develop dementia when you get older, and shmups probably help significantly w/ improving memory in general. also, they're stressful at 1st, but after a while of playing, you eventually can achieve zen meditative experiences while being in the middle of a 1cc/superplay.
i hOpe this helps, mr. spambot ^-^

Good points, though I'd like to add that for me, these games rarely have relaxing effects, nor do I play them to that end - I want to be stressed as fuck when I play bullet hell games, but for that to be a positive thing I have to at least be moderately successful, which again means I can only really play them when I'm already relaxed because my meagre skills virtually disappear when I'm not at a 100%. I've stopped playing at the ends of busy days since it will in most cases lead to rage quitting inside of ten minutes.

yeee, i agree w/ the stress being a fun aspect. the zen level concentratiOn is still definitely intense. like, if i'm in a gOod run and lose towards the end of it, i'm still gonna shout "FUCK!!!!" it's inevitable =3

due to the aburdly demanding levels of skill, reflexes, memorizatiOn, strategizing, etc., despite even the possibility of having a genetic predisposition for it, you're probably going to be less likely to develop dementia when you get older, and shmups probably help significantly w/ improving memory in general. also, they're stressful at 1st, but after a while of playing, you eventually can achieve zen meditative experiences while being in the middle of a 1cc/superplay.
i hOpe this helps, mr. spambot ^-^

The zen meditative experiences of such 1CC attempts back in the 1980s and into the 1990s that world-class arcade gamer superstars describe as "being in the zone" -- a state of over-coming whatever the CPU throws at you type of situation all in real time -- the world-class arcade gamer whom knows said arcade game title forwards & backwards to maximize scores to the hilt & still overcoming the unsurmountable odds of actually "beating the CPU at it's own game" (which is a feat unto itself and still rather impressive, nevertheless and once achieved, consider it "a job well done/a well-deserved triumph completed" as there's nothing else left to do/attempt, gameplaying-wise, when the words of "Game Over" finally appears on-screen).

Of course, there are the many uncountable failures leading unto the "perfect 1CC attempt" as the ugly odds of achieving that ever-so quite elusive 1CC are far greater in reality -- it's a given in this day of age. The major incentive of achieving such a 1CC feat back in the 1980s-1990s, was the glaring fact of spending "real hard-earned money" which forced said arcade gamer to get better at said committed arcade game title with the least amount of money spent as playing arcade games was considered an "expensive hobby/endeavor" back in those days of early arcade gaming lore (not to mention the significant amount of time and dedication spent to master said arcade game title as well). Some world-class arcade gamers even bought said arcade game cabinet to hone their craft at home and return to the local arcade joint to dazzle the local arcade hangout crowds with their expertise, mastery and of course, bragging rights on the local arcade's high score list prominently displayed at the front entrance for all to see/admire/compete against.

Sure, I've been there "in the zone" with several arcade game cabinets during those years many moons ago in my younger days when "hand & eye coordination levels" was at peak form/at it's best (much to the chagrin/loss of "potential earnable profits" with the indie arcade operators/owners with their arcade game cabs out on their usual "street locations" -- "a quarter earned is still a quarter earned, profit-wise" in retrospect/hindsight nowadays). It is what it is.

----------
The old adage/advice of "Practice makes perfect" rings so true these days, especially within the arcade stg genre and arcade game titles in general. So be it.
----------

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

mArio