Thunder Force III is great and it's an easy game if you're just starting out.

>>1891
I played Gun Bird and enjoyed it. You'll need the mame emulator for it since it was an arcade game or something. I think they have a sequel on the switch or something, but I prefer retro.

I recently 1cc Blue Revolver, I don't think it's an insanely hard shmup but a fun one.

My favorite is ChoRenSha 68k. It recently got a 30th anniversary update adding autofire and a new ending sequence.

>>1891
You could try Akiragoya's other games. He's made a ton but most of them seem hard to find.

It's hard to give general recommendations when it comes to shmups since there's so much variety but, my personal favorite is the eXceed series. Specifically, eXceed 3rd jade penetrate (both the original and Black Package) and eXceed 2nd Vampire Rex. They're fast paced, flow well, have just the right amount of difficulty and have great music on top of that. I'd recommend trying Ikaruga before eXceed 2nd since that one uses the same polarity switching system but turned up to 11.

>i'm also a big fan of the first two panzer dragoons but idk if they count
Close enough. Give Sin & Punishment a try if you haven't already.

>>1903
It's funny when you read his old devlogs and you see that he's against autofire. Shit just hurts your hands, man.

>>1906
I think it's great to admit when you've made a mistake, especially 30 years down the line. Many people would defend their bad design choices until the bitter end.

Not shmup-related, but it reminds me how the creator of Rance IV came out of retirement to release a balance patch that halved the encounter rate and doubled EXP gain. He was replaying it and realized how grindy it was, so he decided to fix it. Some Japanese devs are just built different like that.

>>1903
I agree that this game is a masterpiece, the visuals and gameplay are among the best I had seen for a port from the 68k!
I also recommend RagingBlasters that recently surprised me! And even if it's a run n gun… Valfaris for gorgeous graphics!

>>1910
samefrenging but the game is -50% off on steam!

>>1902
Blue revolver is a shmup that I have played. I've heard that it's a good introduction. Haven't managed to 1cc it though. I quite like the soundtrack

i gotta recommend Triggerheart Exelica, if for no other reason than the S tier character designs and music