A lot of Toaplan shmups are basically near the same. The vertical ones are all like Truxton (or Flying Shark would probably be more accurate, but Truxton is my personal reference point because I played it first out of their games), and the horizontal ones are nearly the same as each other. This one is vertical, but it sets itself apart a little by having some bullet hell elements. Also, there's not a specific weapon that's way more useful than the others. It's hard as hell, but it feels a good deal more fresh and less samey than some of their other games.