I suck a shmups in general but I always have a blast playing them.
Exactly, almost everybody does, yet, it is by far the most favorite genre, worldwide. Granted, there's no language barrier but that cannot explain this incredible popularity alone. So, what's the deal? Here are some thoughts...
-- aforementioned language barrier is missing
-- despite a tsunami of sub rules regarding score systems, boss & suicide tactics, weapon choices, chaining, enemy patterns etc., etc. the basics are pretty easy: shoot them down, before they shoot you
-- game structure is like a nice action flick, freshly defrosted from the Reagan era: weapons, bullets, explosions everywhere combined with the one-man-against-whole army aesthetics, garnished with exceptionally bright colors
-- zeitgeist dictates: everything 2d is great and it's not going to get more 2d, than a good old shmup
-- it's really cool to collect, because of its consistent designs; like in a western movie, everything is always the same, just each time in a different wardrobe
-- above all, it is about destroying pretty things...
None of the above? Or can one of these undress the secret...?