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Yeah, that one has a great design. There are some in the other Strikers games that are a must-use for the look alone!

Oh man, Strikers II on the machine would be excellent. Is this club a get-together with fellow genre fans or a business that always has machines up? Out of Gunbird, Samurai Aces, and Strikers, this one definitely demands a lot more from the player. Where the other two have quite a few ways to easily overcome difficult sections and conserve resources, Strikers has many more instances where you actually need to survive an attack or spend those resources.

Yeah, the part with the three purple aliens - one of which looks like some type of Dick Tracy character! A sign of the times. As for Garegga, I'd love for that to hit Switch someday. We'll see if that happens.

I appreciate you watching this one! If you ever felt inspired to do a video, I think it'd be fascinating to hear a little about your journey with stick. It'd also be neat seeing a dpad/stick comparison thrown into the mix.

That's a great question. I've never checked this myself. It's been ages since I opened up the casing, so I don't recall if it's a similar setup to average controller sizes or slightly smaller.

Thanks for watching! It's interesting to observe that the first three people to comment on this video are all sold on picking this up pretty much right away. I feel the FLAT is a great gateway controller!

@@Shmuptopia I own two Haute42 P12s, and they both broke due to a cheap/shotty USB-C connector. The first one I bought, the second was a free replacement they sent. They both broke from plugging in and out the cord, not even in a rough way. When I looked at other options, I was going to go with the Snack Box Micro, but the F500 Flat is about 100 CAD cheaper for me. I think I will prefer the bigger size and the arcade-style buttons of the F500 Flat because I did have some issues at first with the size of the P12. The build quality, it only has 2 extra buttons even though I prefer 12, and the price is what sold me on the F500 Flat.

​@@xuffy1Yeah, the legit arcade stick buttons will sell a lot of people on this controller. I like that I can use all of my previously-acquired buttons on this without needing to order a specific type.

Hey, Orbajo! It's always a delight having you swing by! Yeah, I hear you on that. There are a lot of more expensive options on the market compared to the oodles of much cheaper options that continue to populate the scene. Some of my favorites being the Haute42 G16 and S16. The price and quality is solid there. But yeah, if you're looking for something more arcade stick-ish, this is a solid bet that won't let you down. Mayflash has always been fantastic. Trust you enjoy the controller, super stoked to hear you ordered one and feel free to let me know how things go! It's great seeing your name pop in here because, at this point, you've got to be one of the longest-running supporters. I still remember you commenting way back and I appreciate your time and comments. Thanks so much!

@@Shmuptopia Update: I got the controller and have been messing with it after work the past 2 days, definitely going to be a challenge to learn how to play shmups on it (I don't really play fighting games), but like you said in your review it's very satisfying to use. I don't mind the stock buttons at all and think the unit as a whole looks very sleek. The Up arrow being below the other 3 directions is my biggest hurdle, control wise. I watched your other video of clearing Mushi Novice on it and understand now why you moved up so little throughout the run haha.

That's one thing I love about GP2040-CE - the versatility where compatibility is concerned. As for the buttons, I can see that rubbing people a certain way. I haven't yet been on some of their larger controllers and also haven't looked at them, though I'm curious to see if they handled button spacing differently. I'll see about getting at some of those before long.

@@Shmuptopia if there was a half inch more space I doubt it’d be a real issue for others. The form factor awesome so I really think that’s the only down side. The lower profile buttons on the S16 omggggg they feel so clean

@@macncheese2392 I think as time goes on, some of these things will be ironed out. Haute42/Cosmox is constantly shifting in terms of design and what they pumped out, so it'll be great to see what rolls out over the next little bit!

@@Shmuptopia I found a temporary solution at least in mapping the first two buttons to the right and left triggers, making them basically useless in certain fighting games like SF3. That way if I make the same mistake nothing happens. It also feels a lot more comfortable to have the six action buttons to be all the way to the other side of the board. Makes it feel more balanced in your lap. But yeah I have to agree this is a fantastic value and I’d even consider upgrading to a more standard size in the future given the build quality.

Hey, Glass! Thanks for sharing and checking this out! Ergonomics is always an important factor. I wouldn't mind designing something of my own at some point. Something modular would be most welcome.

I love seeing comments like this, and I'm happy to serve. Glad this one speaks to you and definitely let me know if you grab it and what you think. You'll be set for life with this one unless you eventually need something more slim and compact. Thanks for watching Chu!

Hey Chu! Thanks for watching. The longer stuff like Coffee vids, Meet the Player, and other stuff has been mostly on the backburner due to how busy life and family responsibilities keep me. My controller reviews have been more abundant lately because they are feature and spec-dense but ultimately don't demand the kind of time and energy that actual Shmup topics do, so they've fit but nicely into my schedule. Plus my controller video format keeps things nice and simple. That said, I am starting to ease back into a little more available time for projects. We'll soon see a return to the stuff people have come to appreciate here. As for Shmups and all-button controllers, I think it would just be a matter of more experience. I was dipping into Mushihimesama on Original mode earlier this evening and my control of movement was already worlds improved compared to the other day. I have a feeling native PS5 trickle-down could be a long while, but we'll see!

​@@Shmuptopia Oh sure, understandable. I've been silently checking out the reviews too. Good to hear that you've been able to get a grasp on a bit more time for yourself. Looking forward to your written articles too. I'm not much of a video maker (at all), but I can imagine that 500 words for an article is a multiplied workload if it were in video form. That's interesting hearing your movement is still improving so fast. I'll be ordering the all-button Mayflash f500 you've just covered and really sit with it for a range of games. I haven't touched any shmups in 6 months. Once I do go back, the thing I'll be most curious about is what the distinctions will be between a shmup that feels more all-button friendly than another. For now it feels nebulous, like the elements behind the (lack of) friction may lie more in the intangibles (i.e. bullet design philosophy or ship movement) than the explicit things like mechanics. The next factor I'd explore is, once I do encounter a game that's harder for me to adapt to on leverless, what would it take before I stop blaming my lack of experience and chalk it up to it just feeling too intuitive on stick? In the end, the only way to know the answers is to see for myself, and it's about time I do. I took a super long hiatus from Graze Counter GM no-miss attempts (all stages) because I wanted to see if I could close the gap on leverless, and well...Mayflash pretty much killed my excuses for keeping the game on the back burner. Obviously I'll have to relearn the game, my route, and the controller itself this time, but experimenting in that game for long enough should answer most of the hanging questions. I'll be taking your video's advice to just jump in and see what happens. Thanks for sharing.

The OG and v1.5 versions of the OST are both solid.

I'm not sure what black scape is.

Hey, Frenchy! Thanks so much for sharing that. I have a thing for controllers, so when I initially stumbled upon this type, I was very drawn to explore them. I think in general, there are some insanely inexpensive options, so if you're at all intrigued, there's no reason not to test one. I did a Haute42 G16 and S16 review and comparison a little bit ago and both of those are pretty inexpensive. Plus they often have sales for half price off or close to it. Definitely check those out and see if they interest you enough to make a purchase or let me know if there are any specifications you're after, since I might be able to help direct you further.

@@Shmuptopia Thanks for your advise !! 😉

​@@TheFrenchy82It's my pleasure. I have an entire controller playlist if that helps!

I can totally relate to the actual trigger on a flightstick. I haven't had one or used one since the late '90s or early 2000s when I played Fury 3 on Windows 95 or 98 - I don't recall which. That feels like another life at this point. I remember this cool racing game on PC called Cyber Speed as well! Thanks for watching, Ronnie!

I can only imagine what a 3D game would be like with one of these. There actually aren't too many that I play, since I've always been far more drawn to 2d games but every once in a while, something speaks to me. Thanks so much for jumping in!

Thanks for swinging by! That's actually what I suspected and why I originally bought a Snackbox Micro back in 2022 (though I didn't end up using it until the start of this year). But essentially, I figured that I could apply more of a scientific breakdown to a game I was super into so that movements could be calculated by precise tap amounts on a single button as opposed to a dpad. There's a French Shmup player that uses keyboard and it's always interesting to hear him banging out movements systematically.

​@@ShmuptopiaFor diagonals you have to press two buttons though right? I first played Street Fighter on zsnes with a keyboard. Now I can barely do a fireball with a keyboard. I can't imagine doing 720's like Hugo's super leverless

@@liamconverse8950 Yeah, the game I'm referring to was one where I could, in theory, convert my no-bomb/no-miss routing to only up/down or right/left at specific times where the risks were greatest, otherwise more average movements using two buttons for diagonals would definitely be fine to use. But for the single presses, I just meant if it was one where a single direction can be counted, before then going in another single direction or a combination to still head in a diagonal direction since these are tap dodge instances.

I wonder how much lower his score would be on a real Dodonpachi arcade machine

@@liamconverse8950 I don't recall the guy's name, but it would be interesting to see the results for sure! Also, I recognize the dolphin. Once my Psikyo mini series is finished, I'm definitely sharing those games in a new light. They don't get enough attention.

Yeah, I do find it interesting how some have entertained topics such as whether one or the other is still viable or better when it varies a fair amount depending on what type of game you're playing. I think there are benefits whether you're on stick, pad, or all-button controllers and to me, it just makes sense to embrace them all - provided each speaks to you on some level. There's no replacing stick for certain shooters, and interestingly enough, I don't see myself ever using stick for fighting games. The intention isn't to be close-minded to the idea, but it genuinely doesn't feel like the path to align myself with currently. That said, jumping in to sample that anyway could reveal some interesting things, too!

Solid! Enjoy it, and thanks for watching as always.

@@Shmuptopia I tried it a few times back then, I can easily execute some motion inputs easier and some are even more challenging like doing air versions of Rachel Alucard's tiny nobela.

It's interesting you drop a comment, as just last night and today I was experimenting with Novice mode using one of my all-button controllers. I did a clear earlier today, and it's definitely a totally different experience using a controller like this. My primary use for them is fighting games and controlling movement comes naturally, but in Shmups, it feels very unintuitive compared to dpad or stick. You'll have your Mushi clear in no time!

@@Shmuptopia I looked at all buttons controllers, looks to me pretty much like playing on a keyboard, which as an old pc gamer i'm pretty good at, i can probably use that, but yeah, doesn't seem too tempting for shmups. For fighting games like street fighters, stuff like making 3x a "hadoken" move with feilong is sooo easy on keyboard that it feels like cheating, just 3 buttons (down, left) and punch, BAM, repeat! it's also killer for games like mortal kombat or killer instinct, just like a keyboard basically, never a wrong input once you're used to it. For shmups, i currently use the 8bitdo M30 pad i just got, it's ok, might grab a hori mini stick later on, as i read you played with that one and liked it. Cheers.

As far as I know, they won't be producing anymore of the Mini. It's such a cool controller, but the B16 is a worthy successor - if it can be called that.

@@Shmuptopia yea I saw that but I wanted the 42 mini because of how small it is. I hope they make more

@@Deli5150 Yeah, it'd be nice if they did. More minimal options are always welcome.

Thanks for checking this one out, man! My use is mainly for fighting games. It feels like such a great way to control them. Stick and dpad are still my go-to for shooters. How is the stick journey coming along?

@@Shmuptopia that’s cool to know. Stick journey is good. Since I added the 2lb spring to the mayflash f500 elite I’ve really fallen for using stick, I got my Espgaluda II & Ketsui clears with it and it feels like home now. I’m looking at trying out a sanwa JLX ML silent stick next - been recommended by a few peeps (I’ll mod with a heavier spring of course). That should be in place by end of August so I’ll let you know how it plays 🕹️

Would love to hear your thoughts on the JLX ML silent if and when you snag that! ​@@scowsh

You're welcome! I trust this serves you well.

Yeah, all of my other Haute42 controllers were in the plain cardboard as well. This is a huge step up in presentation. Thanks for watching!

That's solid!! Due to the short nature of this video, I didn't explore much of why this music is fantastic. You captured this incredible array of moods spanning what, to me, felt like various themes from medieval fantasy, to crushing metal, to elf realms and everything in between. By the way, I still love the Menu track from Z-Warp. I cannot tell you how often I sat there listening to that song after a session. Just listened to it again and it is solid! Thanks so much for checking this out!

No worries, and enjoy the game if and when you jump in.

Hey, Christian! Always good to see you. Yeah, I had no clue about this until I got an email from EastAsiaSoft. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't know about it! I trust you're well, man!

The upgrade system only took me two sit-down sessions with the game to fully polish it off (I don't recall if I mentioned that in the video or not) but it shouldn't feel like a slog to get things up to speed. But yeah, man - if you snag this, I'd love to hear your thoughts or see what scores you start dropping! I likely won't do a whole lot more with it due to busy life and whatnot but the scoring is a fun time.

You need to upgrade the shuriken to have more projectiles.

@@Shmuptopia ah ok thanks bro

Awesome to hear it, John! Enjoy the game brother and thanks so much for watching and letting me know!

It works docked with a tv.

According to Hori's website, this version is PC compatible.

Thanks

Thanks for watching Marco! There will be more of an influx of the older style videos before long. There are a few reasons why less of these have been put up this year. First, and in no particular order, things like the coffee episodes require a certain amount of substance before I feel there's enough to work with and produce a meaningful episode. Sometimes, that substance comes from playing and experiencing Shmups - which, these days, my game time is extremely limited in general. This is why there are not as many 1cc guide videos and things like that as they require having time to play games enough to formulate solid and reliable strategies. Secondly, the Meet the Player series is currently still in the works but on hold. As the one that watches my kids from the moment I wake up until in the evening, it's incredibly challenging arranging a time to record a call with someone as schedules and time zones are often in conflict with each other and there is little to no peace and quiet here. But there will be more episodes soon enough. Thirdly, I have a handful of larger projects that I'm gradually chipping away at behind the scenes, which of course means, less time for putting out public videos and playing games. Some of these projects include the Shmup book I'm writing, a supporter-exclusive series for pushing deeper into the Shmup experience and another series that is a Coffee & Shmups - Dark Roast Edition. There are other things like putting together a website (it's almost done and as of last Monday, I've started what will be weekly update posts in the "forum" seciton.). The emphasis on controllers this year is something I always knew I wanted to do more of, and these days, they are a lot more manageable to tackle compared to some of the other things that require more thought, time and energy. I'm happy to hear you enjoy the other stuff and I can guarantee we'll see a return to that. It's just a matter of finalizing some of these bigger things and having less on my plate in general. Thanks again for the feedback and have a stellar one!

Hey Marco! I don't want to speak out of turn, but I can personally confirm that what Dace is cooking up behind the scenes is unique, ambitious, and I honestly think it will be the most exciting content out there in the hobby... It's like everything I love and get out of the channel cranked up to the next level. Hang out! Our boy is gathering incredible strength❤

@@SpidersSTG haha the long, multi-episode build-up of energy for that one huge attack. Love it! I appreciate you chiming in, Spiders!

Thanks for watching Ronnie!

@@Shmuptopia Uhhh... Yeah about my music comment. I was just going by your footage. Having downloaded it myself now, this game punches so high above the asking price, its scary. I honestly believed a dude turned me away from my bullethell & scoring past!👀SHENANIGANS! 👀Im ready to f**kn SCORE AGAIN DADBURNIT! Wipeout Series, Everspace Series, Armored Core Series, NOBODY is safe once I rip these tasty tracks buygod👀😎🤣🤣🤣

Well that was shorter than I expected lol. The hoverbikes kinda had a Vasara collection vibe. Glad I played it for sure.

You're most welcome. Trust this helps!

@@Shmuptopia Yes, i’m having some difficulties on stage 3... And i just got the game 👍

​@@KaliemusI wouldn't worry about it feeling difficult at times. The more you immerse yourself, observe, and apply, the more you'll adjust and make sense of the challenging parts.

Thank you!

It's part of what I'm enjoying more and more about the all-button controller realm. People are starting to do a lot of interesting things as extensions to the typical functions of the controller. Thanks for stopping by!

Dragon Blaze definitely feels like one of the more involved Psikyo titles. I think the whole dragon-drop mechanic reveals they were going for a more complex experience for players. That's one I want to jump into more in the near-ish future. In contrast, Gunbird and Samurai Aces feel very straightforward in terms of their design and what they demand from the player. Sengoku Blade (easily a favorite!) is another one that feels more on the tough-to-crack side of things - until you adjust anyway. Thanks for watching, BB! I always enjoy reading your comments and trust you're having a great weekend.

I was just thinking about this game yesterday. It's been some time since I last played it. Thanks for popping in!

I still think about the Vasara games and how awesome they are, and it does strike me as peculiar that we didn't get a whole lot outaide of the manic shooters you mentioned. This style has such immense potential, yet is hardly tapped into. Thanks for watching, bamd!

Always happy to hear you enjoy what I dish out. The Aero Fighters games are fantastic as well. Those ones are also titles I'm aiming to get at before too long. As for Psikyo, I love both Sengoku titles. Clearing Sengoku Blade on Switch was a wild journey. That game is so good! The next episode won't take too long to bang out. I'm more or less aiming for one every 1-2 weeks just to ensure I still complete other projects. Thanks for watching!

I don't see why not! As long as it's compatible with the mounting setup of the casing or you introduce your own mounting plate. It really depends what joystick you want to put in. It's been some time since I had this one out, so I don't recall what connection type the stick uses. It will either be PCB type or fastener type. If PCB type, you'd need a 5-pin female to female harnessing cable. If fastener type, it would require soldering. There's a possibility it offers both types, though I wouldn't quote me on that since it's been a long while. Trust this helps and let me know if you need anything else!

Yes I have PCB type. It make sense so do I need to buy 5 pin female to female? Is it separate or it's in the box? Thanks for the reply I appreciate it.

@@scbeach1 No problem. I'll need to open mine up and check when I get home this evening. That will give me a better idea.

Ok thank you

@@scbeach1 I just checked and mine is a fastener type. I don't see a spare slot for connecting a joystick that is PCB style. Another possibility might be to have a 5-pin head to 5 loose ends and then just sort out where the wires go, though I've never done that myself.

Oh man, I love getting mammoth-sized comments like this, so never hesitate dropping this kind of stuff here. I'm glad you enjoyed this video and the end result! I had a blast doing this and am very pleased with how it turned out. I'm eager to get art onto my Mayflash f700 and their new f500 Flat all-button controller. Are you into "leverless" controllers at all? I've been doing a ton of reviews lately and a little custom art stuff but there are still quite a few more here that need art on them. Here's what I got done up for my Haute42 G16: th-cam.com/video/jKeWRmLvo_A/w-d-xo.htmlsi=oJzQn95Swn9WUBTA Your ideas and the descriptions included sound absolutely solid! Please tell me there's a feasible way to see pictures when all is said and done or better yet, consider posting a video to your TH-cam channel! It sounds like you've put serious thought into this, and that might as well be shared. Thanks so much for your support! Time is pretty limited these days, though I bang out what videos and projects I can manage. Life with two kids is no joke. Thanks again!!

​@@Shmuptopia Hey my friend, thank you for your elaborate response as well! Much appreciated! So there are more people like me who have more to say than 1 sentence replies! Haha what a relief! Sometimes you just can't communicate properly with 1 sentence answers right?! With that said, I'm not really familiar with leverless controls but I watched the video from your link this morning. Wow really sick! That art is truly kickass! You got a real eye for it. Respect! (Also saw you mini Hori with green balltop. It makes it instantly cooler. Very nice!) If I had to say one thing that I didn't like about the leverless controls (I know that's not on you), the bottom plexi plate isn't as clear as one would prefer, so it dulls out the shiney art a bit. And if I saw it correctly it was éxtra special Shiney art...such a shame! That would annoy the perfectionist in me😂😂 But the fact you customized the bottom says it all! Truly fantastic! With that said, I know all about having less time due having kids. I have 3 boys myself! Twin boys of 9 and a 12 year old. But I wouldn't miss them for the world. We also Olay arcade games together so that's super cool. Reliving my youth in the 80's arcades a bit..but at home! I would definitely love to share some of my art ideas I talked about and when it's finished the end result of course. But I don't have a TH-cam channel nor ever uploaded or even make videos. I'm a bit old-school I guess. However, I do have e-mail so if you have an e-mail address I can send you pics of it all, if you like of course. I can also send pics of my custom Neo Geo bartop. It's kinda cool and fresh looking. I opted for a white cabinet instead of black. (Admittedly a bit inspired by Sega's white Naomi cabinets.) Always loved the look of those. Well anyway, if you want to swap e-mail adresses I love to stay in touch and share projects and such! Greetings from Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

@@MisterMaster4life It's my pleasure. I like a mix of keeping things short and to the point, though I also recognize how refreshing it is when people can compose more substantial and meaningful responses. As for leverless, they are pretty solid. This year has kept me busying exploring a boatload of different options from various makers and there's an immense passion there. With regard to the bottom plexi on the G16, I'm soon ordering a clear replacement plexi - so the holo-effect of the printed artwork will shine through as intended! On that same order, I'll be getting various top and bottom replacement layers for numerous leverless controllers here that I want to have custom art for, so I'll have a bunch of things to showcase before long and I'm stoked for that! Can only imagine having three kids. We have two daughters (3.5 and 1), so we're in that stage where the toddler has a habit of pestering the younger one and time to do personal things is strapped quite often. Definitely feel free to email me at shmuptopia@gmail.com. It'd be great to follow along with your art updates. The NeoGeo bartop sounds fantastic. I think both white and black versions would be cool. I don't have any cabinet-related stuff here, only portable arcade sticks and all-button controllers. Someday it'd be nice to have a machine, though it's a pretty large space investment. Thanks again!