Thinking about why I much prefer dodging/"avoidance" bosses in shmups instead of platformers like SMW hacks or IWBTG fangames, and I think one of the big reasons is "the platformer character is constantly changing their facing direction by moving, so the dodging /feels/ uncool".
…crossposted from fairysvoice.net/microblog/…
In both games, dodging is essentially just wiggling back and forth in ungainly fashion, but because the shmup character constantly faces the boss, the dodging feels focused and dignified. The platformer character, conversely, feels like they're lurching around with little intent.
…crossposted from fairysvoice.net/microblog/…