After having played it for the first time on the Astro City Mini V for a brief play session, I felt compelled to pick up the series on Steam. After having beaten the first game, I'm really glad that I did.

An extremely fun shmup that's graphically gorgeous for the time, has a great OST and showcases great design all around while being infinitely replayable. Difficulty options in the PC port go a long way for me as a shmup noob, but thanks to them I intend to enjoy all the series has to offer.