Deserves its spot as generally the best-loved bullet hell shmup of all time, and deserves to be in the conversation for the GOAT for games more generally (although I know that'll never happen outside of the shmup fandom).
Anyway, yeah, it's pretty much a perfect game -- insanely challenging but never unfair or unreasonable, with mechanics that are simple to understand but allow for an insane amount of depth if you ever get into studying how to play for score. The music and aesthetics are among the best that arcade shmups have ever achieved as well. An amazing, landmark game that I love with my whole heart.
Anyway, yeah, it's pretty much a perfect game -- insanely challenging but never unfair or unreasonable, with mechanics that are simple to understand but allow for an insane amount of depth if you ever get into studying how to play for score. The music and aesthetics are among the best that arcade shmups have ever achieved as well. An amazing, landmark game that I love with my whole heart.