History YMMV / FireShark

* PolishedPort: The Genesis version, developed by Toaplan themselves, uses the same mechanics as the "1P" build (checkpoints and no CoOpMultiplayer), but it also has a much more reasonable difficulty curve while otherwise staying faithful to the original. It also adds a rapid-fire function, something that [[ButtonMashing the arcade version does not have]] unless you hard-wire it into the cabinet yourself.

* PolishedPort: The Genesis version uses the same mechanics as the "1P" build (checkpoints and no CoOpMultiplayer), but it also has a much more reasonable difficulty curve while otherwise staying faithful to the original. It also adds a rapid-fire function, something that [[ButtonMashing the arcade version does not have]] unless you hard-wire it into the cabinet yourself.

* ItsHardSoItSucks: ''Fire Shark'' is one of Toaplan's more divisive games due to being one of the hardest games they put out, if not one of the hardest shmups ''period'' (rivaling even the likes of ''VideoGame/{{Mushihimesama}} Futari'' on Ultra and the arcade version of ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}} III''). In addition to absolutely mean enemies that fire lightning-speed bullets, the game is infamous for its powerup system that intentionally tries to screw over the player. The American ''Fire Shark'' build (as opposed to the Japanese ''Same! Same! Same!'' original) build [[DifficultyByRegion attempts to alleviate this by removing the checkpoint system and dialing down some of the enemy behaviors]], but it's still a sadistic experience for many players.

* ComplacentGamingSyndrome: Despite this game's reputation for its flamethrower weapon, which is regarded by many players as a GameBreaker, pro players in fact mainly stick to the blue SpreadShot as it can consistently shoot in a wide angle at all levels. This is because the flamethrower doesn't get side shots until level 3, and even then its side blasts turn back and forth so it can't always blast everything in sight. The same players also generally [[ScrappyWeapon avoid green shots at all cost because it has no side coverage whatsoever]].

* ScrappyWeapon: The red flamethrower weapon is easily a GameBreaker with how powerful and wide-reaching it is, and the blue SpreadShot weapon [[BoringButPractical isn't as flashy as the red weapon but is still quite reliable and more common]]. Meanwhile, the green vulcan weapon is easily the most hated weapon of the three, as while it inflicts a lot of concentrated damage, it has no spread whatsoever, making picking it up a death sentence in later levels in a game where enemies that are allowed to live for more than one second will ''snipe'' you. To add insult to injury, the item for it is more common than the other two weapons and sticks around longer than other items, and if you have a maxed out shot and you fill the powerup meter, item blimps that would normally carry powerups will instead release weapon change items...most of which will be green. As such, [[PowerUpLetdown green items are to be treated as extra bullets]].

* PolishedPort: The Genesis version uses the same mechanics as the "1P" build (checkpoints and no CoOpMultiplayer), but it also has a much more reasonable difficulty curve while otherwise staying faithful to the original.

* ItsHardSoItSucks: ''Fire Shark'' is one of Toaplan's more divisive games due to being one of the hardest games they put out, if not one of the hardest shmups ''period'' (rivaling even the likes of ''VideoGame/{{Mushihimesama}} Futari'' on Ultra and the arcade version of ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}} III''). In addition to absolutely mean enemies that fire lightning-speed bullets, the game is infamous for its powerup system that intentionally tries to screw over the player. The ''Fire Shark'' build (as opposed to the Japanese ''Same! Same! Same!'' original) and the "2P ''Same!''" build attempt to alleviate this by removing the checkpoint system and dialing down some of the enemy behaviors, but it's still a sadistic experience for many players.

* ItsHardSoItSucks: ''Fire Shark'' is one of Toaplan's more divisive games due to being one of the hardest games they put out, if not one of the hardest shmups ''period'' (rivaling even the likes of ''VideoGame/{{Mushihimesama}} Futari'' on Ultra and the arcade version of ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}} III''). In addition to absolutely mean enemies that fire lightning-speed bullets, the game is infamous for its powerup system that intentionally tries to screw over the player.

** In the arcade version, almost all the regular Mooks become like this.

* ItsHardSoItSucks: ''Fire Shark'' is one of Toaplan's more divisive games due to being one of the hardest games they put out, if not one of the hardest shmups ''period''. In addition to absolutely mean enemies that fire lightning-speed bullets, the game is infamous for its powerup system that intentionally tries to screw over the player.

** The end-of-stage score bonus is proportional to how many lightning icons you picked up on the life that you finished the stage with ''times the number of bombs you have''. Which means if you have no bombs at the end of the stage -- [[NintendoHard and you likely will]] -- you get ''no bonus!''

* ScrappyMechanic: Having to collect 3 'P' tokens to upgrade shot power (as opposed to only one token in other Toaplan games) isn't a well-liked mechanic amongst many players.

* ItsHardSoItSucks: ''Fire Shark'' is one of Toaplan's most hated games due to being one of the hardest games they put out, if not one of the hardest shmups ''period''. In addition to absolutely mean enemies that fire lightning-speed bullets, the game is infamous for its powerup system that intentionally tries to screw over the player.

* AnticlimaxBoss: Many of the bosses can become this if you have a level 4 laser or flamethrower weapon. They WILL die VERY quickly.
* DemonicSpiders: Tanks, when the DynamicDifficulty gets turned up. They can be likened to the tanks in the ''VideoGame/{{Raiden}}'' series, aka "Sniper Tanks"- what with the ImprobableAimingSkills, extremely fast bullets, and firing almost immediately as soon as they appear. For the water equivalent, we have gunboats.

* ScrappyWeapon: The red flamethrower weapon is easily a GameBreaker with how powerful and wide-reaching it is, and the blue SpreadShot weapon [[BoringButPractical isn't as flashy as the red weapon but is still quite reliable and more common]]. Meanwhile, the green vulcan weapon is easily the most hated weapon of the three, as while it inflicts a lot of concentrated damage, it has no spread whatsoever, making picking it up a death sentence in later levels. To add insult to injury, the item for it is more common than the other two weapons and sticks around longer than other items, and if you have a maxed out shot and you fill the powerup meter, item blimps that would normally carry powerups will instead release weapon change items...most of which will be green. As such, [[PowerUpLetdown green items are to be treated as extra bullets]].

* ScrappyWeapon: The red flamethrower weapon is easily a GameBreaker with how powerful and wide-reaching it is, and the blue SpreadShot weapon [[BoringButPractical isn't as flashy as the red weapon but is quite reliable and more common]]. Meanwhile, the green vulcan weapon is easily the most hated weapon of the three, as while it inflicts a lot of concentrated damage, it has no spread whatsoever, making picking it up a death sentence in later levels. To add insult to injury, the item for it is more common than the other two weapons and sticks around longer than other items, and if you have a maxed out shot and you fill the powerup meter, item blimps that would normally carry powerups will instead release weapon change items...most of which will be green. As such, [[PowerUpLetdown green items are to be treated as extra bullets]].

* ScrappyWeapon: The red flamethrower weapon is easily a GameBreaker with how powerful and wide-reaching it is, and the blue SpreadShot weapon [[BoringButPractical isn't as flashy as the red weapon but is quite reliable and more common]]. Meanwhile, the green vulcan weapon is easily the most hated weapon of the three, as while it inflicts a lot of concentrated damage, it has no spread whatsoever, making picking it up a death sentence in later levels. To add insult to injury, the item for it is more common than the other two weapons and sticks around longer than other items, and if you have a maxed out shot and you fill the powerup meter, item blimps that would normally carry powerups will instead release weapon change items...most of which will be green. As such, [[PoisonMushroom green items are to be treated as extra bullets]].

* GameBreaker: The [[PlayingWithFire Flamethrower]] weapon. At max level, it shoots out 6 streams of fire that almost sweeps through the whole screen except for directly behind the player character. Not to mention it does massive damage too...

* GameBreaker: The [[PlayingWithFire Flamethrower]] weapon. At max level, it shoots out 6 streams of fire that sweep almost the whole screen except for directly behind the player character. Not to mention is does massive damage too...

* SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome: This player no-missing an entire loop of Same! Same! Same! 1p ver. (see HarderThanHard in the main section) and without using the fire weapon much. See it right here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or9SNdwf-M0

* SugarWiki/FunnyMoments: When you beat the second stage, you land on an allied airbase. Before taking off again for the third stage, you see another plane similar to yours try to take off, and crash into a building instead!
** There's also another airbase where a soldier falls out of marching formation to greet your plane, and then gets reprimanded by his superior.

* CrowningMomentOfFunny: When you beat the second stage, you land on an allied airbase. Before taking off again for the third stage, you see another plane similar to yours try to take off, and crash into a building instead!

* DemonicSpiders: Tanks, when the DynamicDifficulty gets turned up. They can be likened to the tanks in the {{Raiden}} series, aka "Sniper Tanks"- what with the ImprobableAimingSkills, extremely fast bullets, and firing almost immediately as soon as they appear. For the water equivalent, we have gunboats.
** In the arcade version, almost all the regular Mooks become like this.
* GameBreaker: The [[KillItWithFire Flamethrower]] weapon. At max level, it shoots out 6 streams of fire that sweep almost the whole screen except for directly behind the player character. Not to mention is does massive damage too...