Umi Force Unlimited!

Ok i think it looks amazing, the graphics are cool and the effects and sounds too, but I must say one thing that might ruin it for many players, it's the speed of the ship, it's going slow, that might just throw people off. but besides that, pretty cool! and awesome that your launching it for many platforms

It looks great! I know there are some ways you can improve it even more but I'm having trouble putting my finger on exactly how. It's something about the gameplay that I notice in certain shmups. Here's an example:

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And another one: Please login to see this link.

It isn't so much clumsy or slow as maybe it doesn't have a hook. When I say that, I don't mean a gimmick; rather, an aspect that sets this game apart from the hundreds of other shmups and bullet hells that I've played and seen. I'm very interested in this genre, so I have some experience but it's still difficult to pin down why games like Jamestown and Mushihimesama Futari work so well but those former ones don't.

A clear illustration of the difference between a gimmick and a hook: Please login to see this link. The sidebars are gimmicks (really? Pictures of forests and animals?), whereas the constant explosions and collectibles are the hook. The sidebars could never be used alone to make the game stand out, while the collectibles, though generic in the genre, are like the Diablo of shoot 'em ups. Everyone likes pretty explosions and treasure. Treasure by itself isn't enough to turn a crappy shooter into a less crappy shooter (personally I don't like treasure), but it's a common fallback.

My apologies for the rambling post. You have a great start to your game and I look forward to seeing more of it!

Sounds good! I'm looking forward to it!

The first thing I noticed from your screen shots was that the yellow ship looks a lot like a Getter Robo ship. Be careful you aren't infringing on a copyright.

It looks like you are trying to get the feel of a 70's robot anime show. I think the music is the one thing giving me that feeling. The visuals feel a little normal and plain. I would recommend adding the exciting visuals you see in old robot anime. Maybe try adding more unique background pieces so different parts of your levels stand out. Design ships and tanks that feel more futuristic. And as Snail pointed out, shooters need visual and audio "candy". Players should want to destroy enemies because they love the visual and sound of their death. The same can be said about bonus items.

It looks like you have fuel squares like River Raid. maybe change that visual into an aircraft carrier with the word fuel on the deck. And show the player more visual feedback for getting refueled. In general, I don't even know which bar is fuel, so maybe make that clearer.

The UI could also have a 70's theme to it. Look at robot anime and see what the computer panels and controls look like and use elements from those.

If you are looking for a hook, maybe have your ship unleash a special attack when you have killed enough enemies or collected enough bonus items. The special attack can be used to earn more points. And shooters really are about earning points, so think about how your game mechanics work and weave them with your scoring mechanics.

Looks like a good start!

One thing that looks a little weird to me is the player's jet in the video: when it moves left or right, it "angles" to the side. In most every shooter I've ever seen, whenever the ship moves, the cockpit stays pointing straight forewords and the ship twists a little.
Like this: Please login to see this link.

Now that I look at your UI again, I would suggest taking the background away from the score and lives. And possibly move them to the top of the screen so you can concentrate on the fuel bar. It is not easy to focus on the fuel at the moment. You could flash the fuel bar red when your fuel is low to let the player know. Maybe use a sound effect to alert the player as well.

I finally found the Getter ship image I mentioned. Please login to see this link. It looks like you are copying it directly. I would recommend changing the coloring a bit to avoid copyright issues (even if your game is free).

Good luck!