Shmups controls are good with arcade sticks
As a shmup player who has played both retro and newer shmups on arcade cabinets with a joystick configuration, I can honestly say that I do not enjoy using a joystick for shmups at all. First of all there is the wrist strain that I get from keeping my wrist in a certain position when playing shmups with a joystick for long periods of time (arcade freeplay!) which in turn effects my performance in the game. Anything that effects your performance in any game that *demands* precision control is not a good control scheme. I have to keep my wrist on a flat surface to rest it from being fatigued and with a joystick of particular height I always have to have it elevated from the surface and in turn, have the elevated hand disadvantage.
Second, with joysticks and even the twin sticks on a PS2 or similar controller, the lack of hard set sensitivity on really light presses of the stick might not register if you were light on the touch. Also keep in mind that when you tilt a joystick all the way in one direction, you are going to have to take a few extra milliseconds to move the stick in the other direction which on a keyboard layout of left,right,up,down or WASD you don't have that problem. This tiny flaw could be the difference between you barely missing that surprise bullet that came out of nowhere or just plain out getting hit by it and this is *detrimental* to being good at shmups. This also adds to getting the unique frill of almost dying but because of your skill and reflexes you survived.
Third and finally, Nearly 1 out of 4 shmup arcade machines that I play, retro or newer, always seem to have a broken or wonky/slightly off joystick control when I play them. I assume that when people play the games on them, they carelessly jerk the joystick around in the thick of the moment when they are distracted by the game and just end up breaking the joystick. I remember an occasion when I played 1944 on a retro cabinet and I had to play the damn game by pushing the joystick as hard as I could in all directions just to register your movement. So, joysticks are more prone to breaking when hard set buttons simply are less prone to that problem.
You know what I think is the ideal type of control to have in a shmup? A touch pad and a smooth tip electronic stylus pen like the Nintendo 3DS has. You have pinpoint accuracy and it takes less from your hand to move around the game and dodge. You move using a lower touch pad for input and stare at a larger monitor on top so that your pen/hand isn't in the way like you have with smart phone games. I believe that this configuration is optimal. A mouse for control is a close second, third would be the traditional keyboard control Touhou has and last would be a joystick.
Think about those things I brought up the next time you decide to use a joystick for anything, especially shmups.
As for me, I find danmaku erotic. Can you see? Those wave motions.
The Danmaku was intense, like wet rain dripping on your mouth. Long, thick, hard, curvy lasers burst forth from the enemy and penetrated out heroines hitbox. It came deep inside our heroine and pierced through her in a forceful thrust. She had no time to have it graze and touch her against her smooth, delicate skin. This instance climaxed in a massive explosion that rocked the screen.
*pichoon*
