Boring but Practical/Video Games/Shoot'Em Up


 * The computer game Raptor: Call of the Shadows. You fly a fighter jet that you can accessorize with a number of different guns, missile launchers, laser cannons, etc. These are all very useful, but a necessary secondary gun is the basic machine gun. Infinite ammo and a rapid firing rate, so even if the actual damage inflicted is minimal, you can erode away anything in the game perpetually.
 * This strategy applies to Nintendo Hard Einhander as well.
 * A melee class in a Shoot'Em Up game? Yep, there is nothing cool about headbutting your enemies while other players can just shoot them from afar. But granted the ability to deflect bullets, they are extremely necessary in Valkyrie Sky (a Shoot'Em Up MMORPG, and no, it's not the first one) because, let's face it, starting from level 10+, you definitely, desperately need someone to deflect those damn bullets while you shoot the boss.
 * The Twin and Back Shots in the Thunder Force series, as they are the only weapons you don't lose when you die. In later games where only the weapon you're holding vanishes if you die, a common strategy is to switch to Twin or Back if you fear that you're about to get killed.
 * In Battle Garegga, if you don't have a full bomb in stock, you'll use a smaller weaker bomb if you have little bombs in your inventory. Seems like a waste, right? Well, bombs are the only way to destroy ground scenery, which often hides powerups and medals, so a common strategy is to forego using bombs as a uber-powerful weapon and instead blow up scenery that isn't attacking you.
 * Raiden has the Spread Shot. Though it's a bitch to fire continously prior to Raiden III, and it doesn't look as cool as the laser weapons, at higher levels the spread shot attacks at nearly a 180-degree arc in front of you; you can concentrate on dodging bullets and still damage nearly anything that's in front of you.
 * Some modern shmups like Gradius V allow support for analog movement via the analog stick. However, the basic 8-way D-pad still has its charm. Yes, you move at a constant speed with digital input. Yes, you only move in 8 directions. But it's these properties that make using a D-pad or arcade stick easier for some players—no having to gauge how hard to press or the precise angle to push at.
 * In Touhou games, while the shot types vary from game to game, there are always firing options that seem really cool (such as magical lasers, missiles, homing knives, spirits, sword beams, the list goes on) but there's one shot type that's been in almost every game and consistently manages to be either the best or second-best shot type in the game: needles. Ordinary needles that do solid damage, on a character with good movement and a small hitbox. Most experienced players immediately go for the needle shot type for a serious run for its simplicity, reliability, and power.