Okay so genuinely why do normies not understand this genre
>The point is to play over and over until you get a perfect 30 minute run and beat it in one credit
>This is the exact same thing as roguelites, a favorite genre of normalfags
>The only difference is that the progression happens from within, with your skills, rather than extrinsic motivation like item unlocks
Do shmups just do a bad job at communicating this? Maybe the game should tell you you fucking suck and you lost if you used any additional credits. Be like Touhou and don't show the real ending. Or be like ZeroRanger and make players earn their continues. Because otherwise it seems like normalfags will treat them as disposable 30-minute-long lights-and-sound machines rather than realizing how much longevity they have compared to most other action genres.