🐱Rei doesn't knows why she likes 2DSTG so much. She just does! >n.n< They's fun and Rei should plays more and gets more practice. NOdnods, mews!
my first-ever sidescrolling shooter was Super Earth Defense Force for SNES (not to be confused with the Earth Defense Force games, which are a much different animal)
for some inexplicable but much appreciated reason it was made available on Wii U Virtual Console, and now it's available via Switch Online
it is technically an arcade conversion but it has been extensively reworked and...having played the original via MAME i think the SNES version is better
the soundtrack is great; the boss theme kicks all kinds of ass
the game has three gimmicks:
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at the start of every level you can choose from one of eight different weapons, ranging from the basic Vulcan (your standard forward rapid shot) to more exotic things like the rapid-fire Homing, the slow but powerful tracking shots of the Search Laser, the explosive shots of the Grenade, and the bullet-eating blasts of Atomic
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you have a pair of "satellite ships," option-type fighters that can shoot independently and block bullets: in their default Union configuration, they combine with your ship and provide a small invincibility box; in their Rolling configuration they orbit your ship and fire your chosen special weapon (your ship itself is relegated to a basic vulcan-type shot when they're separated); and there are other modes that you can unlock as the game proceeds
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there is an experience point/level system in play that correlates directly with scored points; the more enemies you shoot down (and the more Secret Bonuses you achieve by finishing a level with a full shield gauge), the faster the EXP gauge fills; as your level increases, your special weapons become more powerful, and new satellite ship configurations become available
the game has so many neat little details, like how bosses and midbosses will turn into visibly more damaged (and often more dangerous) forms once their HP hits a certain threshold, the blue sky of the first stage turning to sunset towards the end, and a shocking surprise at the end of the fourth level
you get four continues to tackle six stages and i've gotten good enough that i can consistently beat it these days
now if i could only beat my other favorites Darius Gaiden and RayForce without consuming an embarrassing number of continues ^_^;