My First Cave Shooters! - Mushihimesama, DonDonPachi, and DEATHSMILES

·15 min·1 clip

Doug explains why he bought three Cave shooters after realizing he loves shmups from playing Zero Ranger.

The episode begins with Brad introducing Doug, who has recently picked up three Cave shooters. Doug explains that his interest in shmups was sparked by playing Zero Ranger, which led him to seek out games from Cave, a company known for bullet-hell shooters. He purchased Mushihimesama, DonDonPachi Resurrection, and Deathsmiles. Doug describes Mushihimesama as having bright pink bullets that enhance legibility, making it easier to learn. He compares learning shmups to developing muscle memory, similar to rhythm games like Guitar Hero. When switching to DonDonPachi, Doug found the varied bullet colors and sizes disrupted his learned patterns, but he eventually adapted. He notes that shmups require full attention, unlike 'podcast games,' and can cause eye strain during intense levels. Doug played these on a Steam Deck, acknowledging it might not be the ideal platform but still enjoyable. Deathsmiles is highlighted for its left-to-right gameplay and Halloween-themed monsters, which he prefers over the magical girl themes common in Cave shooters. Doug criticizes the magical girl character designs across these games, calling them embarrassing despite the gorgeous art. He mentions that the shmup genre feels largely mastered, with recent releases being remakes rather than innovations. Brad asks Doug to recommend one game for beginners, and Doug suggests Mushihimesama but cautions that infinite credits ruin the experience. The episode concludes with a call for listener recommendations for more shmups to try.

As heard by us

A candid, tactile look at why Cave's bullet storms become rewarding once the patterns start to make sense.

Workforce Gaming turns Doug's curiosity about Cave shooters into a lively account of learning to read games that first seem built from impossible bullet patterns.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want Cave's impossible-looking bullet storms reframed by someone who starts skeptical, then finds the fun in getting better.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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