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Shoot the Core! - Gaf Shoot ‘em Up (aka Shooter/SHMUP) Reference Thread

jibblypop

Banned
raiden2-04.jpg

When I think about it, to this day it's been this game that gives me the most joy out of anything in the whole genre.

Whenever I list my favorite shmup of all time, I always say Ikaruga because that game just sucks me in and makes me be meticulous but for pure fun, nothing will ever top Raiden 2 for me.

I'm a dead sucker for shmups games though. Bullet hell ones are always my least favorite but I feel it must be just because I haven't figured out the secret to them yet.
 

Drkirby

Corporate Apologist
Got Gradius V tonight. May not be 'readily available at a cheap price', but that doesn't mean Gamestop doesn't want just $10 still, for the few copies they have left:
vni647.jpg


:D
 

woodypop

Member
I've always wondered: Why did Square never revisit Einhander to produce a sequel or another shooter?

Einhander had quality in spades. Did it not have the sales?
 
First -- See my post at the bottom of the last page... also, should we not try to add more rail shooters, arena shooters, etc. to the list? There are lots more of both of course... And how about the fact that a few arena shooters are listed in the main list? Should they be removed (Robotron, Smash TV, Geometry Wars, etc)? Should more be added (Cannon Spike, etc), or should they be moved out?


Hmm, looking at the list it looks great, but there are a lot more Midway and Namco collections, even just for the platforms you have there... problem is, Midway released slightly different versions of its collections on like six different platforms, often with nearly identical game lists but different titles and extras... it's a real pain to sort through. Robotron, Defender, Joust, etc. have been collected on so many systems in so many different releases that really it'd take a whole list just to list all of the collections they've been in, really... :)
 

cramcakes

Member
Drkirby said:
Got Gradius V tonight. May not be 'readily available at a cheap price', but that doesn't mean Gamestop doesn't want just $10 still, for the few copies they have left:
vni647.jpg


:D

Enjoy it. It's probably my favorite game on PS2. :D
 

jibblypop

Banned
woodypop said:
I've always wondered: Why did Square never revisit Einhander to produce a sequel or another shooter?

Einhander had quality in spades. Did it not have the sales?

Oh man! How did I forget that game!? I avoided that game for years because I thought it was an RPG because it said SQUARE on the box :lol

When I finally played it I was so blown away that I kicking myself for avoiding it for so long.
 

fatty

Member
A Black Falcon said:
If you're leaving out those games from the main list, you need to take Alien Syndrome out I think... it's a top-down free-roaming shooter, after all, no auto-scrolling or anything. If you were counting Pocky & Rocky and stuff I could see maybe listing it, but otherwise, probably not... and the same goes for the modern Wii/PSP Alien Sydrome too I'm sure.

After checking out the gameplay on Youtube, I'd have to agree. Kinda reminds me of the PS1 games Project Overkill and Crusader: No Remorse.

A Black Falcon said:
... Also, should Turbo CD titles be noted separately in some way from HuCard titles? I know the VC mixes the two together, but really they are separate, and the size differences are huge for sure... might be worth listing the CD titles as 'TGCD' or something, maybe. Up to you though.

I compared the list with this link and updated it since there wasn't too many to look up.

A Black Falcon said:
Also you listed Xyanide Resurrection as a US PS2 release, even though I thought I was clear that the game only came out in the US on Xbox, the PS2 and PSP versions were Europe and Japan only... (and the Xbox version, Xyanide, was US only) I guess you missed that. Or is it because there's no Europe section?

Oh, and noting that "Mobile Light Force 2" for PS2 is actually Castle Shikigami 1 is probably worthwhile.

If you're listing all titles, yes. But the list looked liike you were only listing Japan releases not released in the US, which is why I said that... but if you are listing all Japan releases, yes.

Yeah, Xyanide Resurrection was meant to be pasted under the Japan and not the US section. Constantly scanning up and down all of the titles I'm surprised I haven't done it more.

And that was a mental brain freeze on my part about Strikers. Strikers 1945 II shouldn't have been included in the Japan list, all of the name changes threw me off.

A Black Falcon said:
The only thing that shmups.com really doesn't do is note which games came out in which regions. For the Saturn though, it's simple -- apart from the following titles all were Japan-only.

RayForce/Galactic Attack - JEU
In the Hunt - JEU
Darius Gaiden - JEU
Darius II - JE
Parodius Collection (just "Parodius" in Europe) - JE

The Gamecube has a few more shmups than those collections of course, but the two shmups.com lists should have all of them between them.

I was able to copy Serraxor's Saturn list (thanks Serraxor!) right over and compare it to the ones from Shmups.com since it was already alphabetized and complete.

I've touched up the last list as well.
 

fatty

Member
A Black Falcon said:
First -- See my post at the bottom of the last page... also, should we not try to add more rail shooters, arena shooters, etc. to the list? There are lots more of both of course... And how about the fact that a few arena shooters are listed in the main list? Should they be removed (Robotron, Smash TV, Geometry Wars, etc)? Should more be added (Cannon Spike, etc), or should they be moved out?


Hmm, looking at the list it looks great, but there are a lot more Midway and Namco collections, even just for the platforms you have there... problem is, Midway released slightly different versions of its collections on like six different platforms, often with nearly identical game lists but different titles and extras... it's a real pain to sort through. Robotron, Defender, Joust, etc. have been collected on so many systems in so many different releases that really it'd take a whole list just to list all of the collections they've been in, really... :)

Yeah, I'm thinking of leaving the other Midway and Namco collections off since there are so many and we've listed the most accessible ones. If anyone wants to know more about the different versions, Wikipedia has a nice summary of all the Midway and Namco collections.

If there are other rail shooters worthy of mentioning, I'm all for anyone that wants to list them and I may add them to the list, I just don't want to list something because it happens to fall into the category. I'm also contemplating moving the arena shooters into the sub-genre list at the end but I'm not sure if I we should introduce another sub-category. That, and I'm lazy. Games like Cannon Spike I feel should be let off of the main list and considered on the last one on a case by case basis. In Cannon Spike's case, I probably wouldn't list it as I didn't think much of it but I know others are quite fond of it.

Drkirby said:
Got Gradius V tonight. May not be 'readily available at a cheap price', but that doesn't mean Gamestop doesn't want just $10 still, for the few copies they have left:

:D

Congrats, for only $10 you got a really great deal. Speaking of Gamestop, now is a great time to add to a shooter collection since many are so cheap.

At Gamestop I recently picked up:
Taito Collection-used (PS2) $5
Raiden III-used (PS2) $6
Castle of Shikigami III-new (Wii) $10

I also noticed:
Blast Works-new (Wii) $10
Taito Collection 2-used $5
Gradius III and IV-used (PS2) $8
Heavenly Guardian-new (Wii) $10 (just because it has been mentioned in this thread)
 

Dash Kappei

Not actually that important
I think you're missing:

---
GBA US

NES Classics Star Soldier
NES Classics Xevious

GBA JPN


(all the above)
Famicom mini (series 2) Twiinbee

Nintendo DS US:

Geometry Wars Galaxies
Nanostray 1 and 2
Danny Phantom - Urban Jungle (also on GBA)
Space Invaders Extreme 1 and 2 (supports the PADDLE controller)

Nintendo DS JPN

Ketsui: Kizuna Jigoku Tachi - Death Label

Nintendo DSi
Aa Mujyou Setsuna (Dsiware)
---

Hope that helps :)

I didn't mention run&gun games like Contra, I don't think those are shmups at all honestly, but if you care then there are many more (Metal Slug 7, Contra 4...)
 

gunstarhero

Member
PS1 Store (JPN) (Setting up a Japanese Account):
Aerowings Special
Darius
Einhander
Gaia Seed
Raycrisis
Raystorm
Shienryu

Are any of these PSN games worth setting up a JPN account? I played Darius a whie back and thought it was ok...

Does anyone remember Transbot for the Master System?

LOL - YES! I played the crap out of this on SMS - I dont think it had a proper ending IIRC - you kept fighting the Battle Pod Rip Off boss from Macross, then it would mix it up and start all over. Rinse and repeat.

AWESEOME thread BTW - I just started getting back into shmups with Futari recently - I was basically raised on the genre with games like ThunderForce, Gaires, MUSHA, etc.
 

Tain

Member
adversesolutions said:
Tain is a god.

Let me declare. I hate shmups as a genre. I come from a fighting game background. I only appreciate the individual games that have risen above the morass of mediocre shite. The VF5s and the 3rd strikes in other words. The Demons Souls and Valkyria Chronicles. The COD4s and Killzone 2s (don't start).

This is the way to go.


Both the part where you call me a god and the part where you only bother with great games.
 
Damn cool beans @ all of the PS2 PAL shooters that support 60 hz.
Shame there never seems to be any good sites that ship PAL games to the US for less than a million dollars.
 

Dash Kappei

Not actually that important
gunstarhero said:
Are any of these PSN games worth setting up a JPN account? I played Darius a whie back and thought it was ok...

I've never loved Darius, althogh G is the only one I enjoy.
I love the Ray series, Raystorm is the second game in the series while Raycrisis is the third and last game. Those games are vertical shooters in 3D, while the first Ray game (Rayforce) was a classic and beloved (arcade and Saturn only iirc, maybe Win'95 JPN... edit: also on Taito Legends 2 for Xbox and PC) 2D vertical shooter. A proper sequel in 2D was scrapped for a new 3D approach to the series... the 2D game, named R-Gear but never released, was later found by some collector, I think, but it's not complete (just 1 level?)... you can find a video around (jaw droppingly awesome) and it's considered some Holy Grail of shmup, since many fans wanted the series to stay 2D.
But hey, I also love the 3D Ray games since those are more 2.5D than anything and I LOVE the gameplay mechanics.
You should try them! :)
 

Dash Kappei

Not actually that important
PepsimanVsJoe said:
Damn cool beans @ all of the PS2 PAL shooters that support 60 hz.
Shame there never seems to be any good sites that ship PAL games to the US for less than a million dollars.

The Hut and Zavvi do it for £2.5
Of course there aren't many PS2 games anymore, I'm telling you just in case, for future reference.
 

gunstarhero

Member
YIKES - I'm on the JPN PSN store to hunt down the Ray shooters on PS1... aaaand I dont think I'm going to be able to find them :lol

I need a translator STAT!

EDIT: Scratch that - THANK GOD FOR ICONS! Thank you Japan!

I just noticed they have Cotton up there - is that similar to the Cottono shooter released on the MegaDrive? If so, it's mine!
 

Teknoman

Member
oracrest said:
There is no real story to speak of going across all the games, but the sense of narrative within them, and throughout levels is pretty incredible for a 2D arcade shooter. And they are all really fun, you can't really love one and not love another.

I would say hands down, 3 is the best. It brought SO much new stuff to the table, and I personally think it has the best story arc. (there is one scene in particular that always gives me goosebumps when I see it.)

Does it involve joining forces? If so, same here :D
 

Anso

Member
PepsimanVsJoe said:
Damn cool beans @ all of the PS2 PAL shooters that support 60 hz.
Shame there never seems to be any good sites that ship PAL games to the US for less than a million dollars.

You're welcome! I own them all (and then some) and all the PAL releases are worthwhile. Homura is especially tasty. I might list the 50Hz shmups later on but it seems... less relevant.
 
Tain said:
Advice to people new to the genre:

1. Don't continue
Most of the shooters worth playing weren't made to be console games. Gradius is not an NES game, Ikaruga is not a Dreamcast game. They were made to be arcade games. And yes, believe it or not, every single Japanese arcade game I've seen is both completely clearable with a single credit and at its most enjoyable when played with a single credit. In fact, they often turn into noninteractive explosion clip shows if you use as many credits as you "need." Not to mention the countless games that wreck your score when continuing, the games that prevent you from playing them to their entirety when continuing, the games that introduced continues only later in the International releases and home ports, or the games that prevent you from continuing at all. Before you scoff at the thought of a game like Raiden being more than some vacuum that tries to unfairly kill you every two seconds to earn more cash while you continue into infinity, realize that...
I could not disagree with this more, especially as 'advice' to new shmup players. In fact, I would encourage new shmup players to continue as much as humanly possible. Why restrict yourself from seeing the beautiful artwork and great music contained in the later parts of the game for absolutely no reason other than arbitrary 'cred' as a shmup player? Its ridiculous.

Credit fed to see the game, then go back and decide if you want to put the effort into trying to 1cc the whole thing. Not to mention, many later stages in shmups (Cave titles especially) will be easier than middle stages; for instance Stage 4 in Futari is relatively an easier experience than Stage 3, and the skills you learn by clearing these later stages can be applied to better runs in the future. Saying that playing a shmup is singularly about the score is stubborn sophism born of a desire to even further distance the shmup community from other gamers. It is the primary motivating factor, but should not be used as a deterrent from experiencing all that the game has to offer.

Tain said:
5. fuck treasure
Ikaruga is a great game, but insanely unorthodox. Everybody should play it, but nobody should let it mess with their opinion on the entire genre a whole lot. Radiant Silvergun really fucks with rule 3 by making you play for scoring. And Gradius V is cool, but man is it long, with just a little too many slow sections. They're clearly a talented bunch, but don't believe anybody who claims them to be the unquestionable best in the genre. I've seen people try to get into shooters by doing nothing but playing Radiant Silvergun for score, getting turned off, and walking away from the genre entirely. I just Do Not Get It.
Again I'm not really sure what kind of 'advice' you're trying to impart here, but to completely write off one the best developers (shmups or otherwise) of the past 15 years is so insanely antagonistic and short-sighted it makes my frontal lobes throb. Radiant Silvergun is a TERRIBLE game to start with for a new shmup player, but does that make it a bad game? Please have the sense to understand some people actually 'get' Treasure games and do not dissuade newer shmup players from trying them out simply because of personal taste.

Kron said:
First of all Border Down is a much better game than Gradius 5, More people should check it out.
Statements like this cause me to think of suicide. The fact that nobody as of yet has quoted this tells me either A) They couldn't even muster the wherewithal to begin the journey down the craggy slope of logic your post contains B) The majority of people actually AGREE with this sentiment or C) Nobody is familiar enough with both titles to provide any kind of resistance.

In short, you're terribly misinformed about what constitutes a "good" shmup.



Also, if anyone would like to have MORE fodder for arguments, my friend and I do a small podcast about gaming. We recently just wrapped up a 3-part shmup special. Check it out if you're so inclined:
http://www.podcast198x.com/podcasts/shoot-the-core-podcast-17a/
 
adversesolutions said:
Let me declare. I hate shmups as a genre. I come from a fighting game background. I only appreciate the individual games that have risen above the morass of mediocre shite. The VF5s and the 3rd strikes in other words. The Demons Souls and Valkyria Chronicles. The COD4s and Killzone 2s (don't start).
How can you make accurate judgments as to the quality of a game if you only play 'the best' the medium has to offer?

I applaud the educated gamer who takes the time to discern what makes "great" games truly great, but I really feel like you need to know what makes "horrible" games horrific in order to be confident about your assessment.


EDIT: Damnit I meant to edit my previous post, not post a new one. Sorry for the bad forum etiquette.
 

fatty

Member
Rabbitwork said:
I could not disagree with this more, especially as 'advice' to new shmup players. In fact, I would encourage new shmup players to continue as much as humanly possible. Why restrict yourself from seeing the beautiful artwork and great music contained in the later parts of the game for absolutely no reason other than arbitrary 'cred' as a shmup player? Its ridiculous.

Credit fed to see the game, then go back and decide if you want to put the effort into trying to 1cc the whole thing. Not to mention, many later stages in shmups (Cave titles especially) will be easier than middle stages; for instance Stage 4 in Futari is relatively an easier experience than Stage 3, and the skills you learn by clearing these later stages can be applied to better runs in the future. Saying that playing a shmup is singularly about the score is stubborn sophism born of a desire to even further distance the shmup community from other gamers. It is the primary motivating factor, but should not be used as a deterrent from experiencing all that the game has to offer.


Again I'm not really sure what kind of 'advice' you're trying to impart here, but to completely write off one the best developers (shmups or otherwise) of the past 15 years is so insanely antagonistic and short-sighted it makes my frontal lobes throb. Radiant Silvergun is a TERRIBLE game to start with for a new shmup player, but does that make it a bad game? Please have the sense to understand some people actually 'get' Treasure games and do not dissuade newer shmup players from trying them out simply because of personal taste.


Statements like this cause me to think of suicide. The fact that nobody as of yet has quoted this tells me either A) They couldn't even muster the wherewithal to begin the journey down the craggy slope of logic your post contains B) The majority of people actually AGREE with this sentiment or C) Nobody is familiar enough with both titles to provide any kind of resistance.

In short, you're terribly misinformed about what constitutes a "good" shmup.



Also, if anyone would like to have MORE fodder for arguments, my friend and I do a small podcast about gaming. We recently just wrapped up a 3-part shmup special. Check it out if you're so inclined:
http://www.podcast198x.com/podcasts/shoot-the-core-podcast-17a/

Very good comments and I pretty much agree. I'm familiar with the genre but I haven't came close to 1cc'ing a game yet (closest is beating the original Contra without the 30 man code). The enjoyment I get is getting a little further every time and taking in all of each stage, but that's why I probably enjoy limited continue games like Gradius and R-Type. With unlimited continue shooters, it's nice to play through to enjoy the game on its on merits and then decide if I want to try and master the game.

As for Treasure, I love them. Easily my favorite shooter developer. But I guess spotlighting three of their games in the OP is probably a dead giveaway. They're challenging but not at all unfair. I think one of the reasons they get some backlash (though I'm not saying this is the case with Tain) is that among gamers that are not shooter enthusiasts, they are the most well known and get the majority of praise. And I think some hardcore shooter fans get a little irritated that some of the other active shooter developers don't get more love.

Oh, and a couple of us did actually respond to Kron's comment about Borderdown. Myself and discoalucard, though I was in the camp of having never played it. I'll be sure to checkout the podcast.
 
You are missing the Xbox Japanese exclusives. Those are the ones I have:
- Psyvariar 2 Extend Edition
- Shikigami No Shiro
- Shikigami No Shiro Evolution (red and blue editions)
- Shikigami No Shiro 2

(I believe there is more)
 

Tain

Member
Rabbitwork said:
I could not disagree with this more, especially as 'advice' to new shmup players. In fact, I would encourage new shmup players to continue as much as humanly possible. Why restrict yourself from seeing the beautiful artwork and great music contained in the later parts of the game for absolutely no reason other than arbitrary 'cred' as a shmup player? Its ridiculous.

Credit fed to see the game, then go back and decide if you want to put the effort into trying to 1cc the whole thing.

I was talking about playing the game, not seeing the artwork. Credit feed all you want if you want to get an idea of what the game offers, but there's no point in continuing if your goal is to get better at the game. Which is what I was talking about. I figured that much would be obvious, but it looks like I was wrong!

Where are you pulling this "arbitrary 'cred'" shit from?

Not to mention, many later stages in shmups (Cave titles especially) will be easier than middle stages; for instance Stage 4 in Futari is relatively an easier experience than Stage 3, and the skills you learn by clearing these later stages can be applied to better runs in the future.

There are very few cases where this actually makes sense, though. Mushi Futari is a weird exception, and even then, you're assuming they're using the characters or playing in modes where that applies. What good does it do to reach a situation beyond your skill level, continue, and struggle against the rest of the game (if not immediately, as might be the case in some games of Futari, then surely sooner or later) when in the vast majority of cases it will be both more difficult than and, more importantly, very different from the situation you already failed to overcome?

Oh, that's right, you get to see the beautiful art and shit.

For most games, the difficulty curve is pretty damn logical. If you're trying to get better, you play what you can handle. If you lose your last life at a boss, it's probably because you lost lives earlier. If you lost lives earlier, you could still do better at early parts in the game. Why waste time on later parts that you can't handle yet? Again, assuming that you're trying to beat the game, not see beautiful art.

Saying that playing a shmup is singularly about the score is stubborn sophism born of a desire to even further distance the shmup community from other gamers. It is the primary motivating factor, but should not be used as a deterrent from experiencing all that the game has to offer.

No way in hell is playing for score the primary motivating factor for me or many others. I brought up scores being wrecked by continuing simply because it was one of the many ways that developers discourage continuing. Other than that, I'm not sure what the point in bringing this up is.

Again I'm not really sure what kind of 'advice' you're trying to impart here, but to completely write off one the best developers (shmups or otherwise) of the past 15 years is so insanely antagonistic and short-sighted it makes my frontal lobes throb.

Treasure has made, like, two great games, some pretty good ones, and a bunch not worth my time. I have absolutely no problem with people writing them off.

And for new players looking to clear something, because of the nature of their games, I encourage it.

I'm sorry that this causes you so much physical pain.

Radiant Silvergun is a TERRIBLE game to start with for a new shmup player, but does that make it a bad game?

That alone? Not at all. But I only said that it was a terrible game for new players, not that it was a terrible game. It being bad for new players is what is most relevant, here. You couldn't gather that from what I wrote?

Please have the sense to understand some people actually 'get' Treasure games and do not dissuade newer shmup players from trying them out simply because of personal taste.

aaaaahah fuck. Yeah, I don't "get" Treasure games. Each and every one of them are fucking mysteries, all far too grand for my mainstream-ass brain to handle.

Anyway, you just agreed with me by saying that Radiant Silvergun is a terrible game to start with for a new player. You then went on to imply that you "get" Treasure games, where I don't, and that you would never dissuade a newer player from trying any of them out. The hell are you saying, then?

And "completely write off"? What? Did I not say that Gradius V was a pretty cool game? Did I not say that everybody should try Ikaruga right there? Are you even thinking about what you're writing?

I was saying that players new to the genre would do well to avoid Treasure when looking for things to start with, even if everybody claimed they made the best games. I thought that was pretty clear.

Statements like this cause me to think of suicide.

lol, how internet is this guy

The fact that nobody as of yet has quoted this tells me either A) They couldn't even muster the wherewithal to begin the journey down the craggy slope of logic your post contains B) The majority of people actually AGREE with this sentiment or C) Nobody is familiar enough with both titles to provide any kind of resistance.

In short, you're terribly misinformed about what constitutes a "good" shmup.

You're so nonpartial!

He's pretty damn correct, though. Please, please explain to me in lucid detail the ways in which Gradius V is better than Border Down.

I mean, you DO have a podcast! You guys must be experts!
 
I only credit feed on the first playthrough to get a feel for the game.
That way I can compare as to whether I'm just making a few mistakes or I'm just repeatedly hitting a brick wall.

Otherwise naw..it ain't worth the hassle.

If I just wanted to watch & listen to the game there's always youtube.

I think Radiant Silvergun is a terrible game for anyone. =(

I would also like Gradius V more if it wasn't RPG-length.

Oh and the word shmup can eat my asshole. HATE IT.
 
fatty said:
Yeah, I'm thinking of leaving the other Midway and Namco collections off since there are so many and we've listed the most accessible ones. If anyone wants to know more about the different versions, Wikipedia has a nice summary of all the Midway and Namco collections.

If there are other rail shooters worthy of mentioning, I'm all for anyone that wants to list them and I may add them to the list, I just don't want to list something because it happens to fall into the category. I'm also contemplating moving the arena shooters into the sub-genre list at the end but I'm not sure if I we should introduce another sub-category. That, and I'm lazy. Games like Cannon Spike I feel should be let off of the main list and considered on the last one on a case by case basis. In Cannon Spike's case, I probably wouldn't list it as I didn't think much of it but I know others are quite fond of it.

Hah, yeah... I think I made a list of a bunch of the Midway collections once on GAF actually, but I forget where it is, and without search it's impossible to find it seems. Bah. We really need search back, I miss it badly! I have to do it again then...

... Basically there are four Midway collections, pre-MAT (Midway Arcade Treasures), the issue as I said is that platforms, collection names, and extras shifted regularly, particularly with the first two collections. All are developed by Digital Eclipse, I'm pretty sure.

Williams Arcade Classics (PC/game.com) / Williams Arcade's Greatest Hits (SNES/Genesis/PSX US releases only) / Midway Presents Arcade's Greatest Hits (SNES/Genesis European releases, Saturn both regions) / Midway's Greatest Arcade Hits Volume I (Dreamcast/Nintendo 64) all contain the same six following titles: Defender, Defender II (Stargate), Bubbles, Joust, Sinistar, Robotron 2084, with the following exception: the game.com version does not contain Bubbles. The older CD versions -- PC, PSX, Saturn -- contain video interviews with the creators of some of the games. I belive that the Dreamcast version does NOT contain the videos. (Most of?) the videos reappear in Midway Arcade Treasures 1 along with all of these games. The 16-bit and game.com versions do not save highscores; other versions do.

Midway Presents Arcade's Greatest Hits: The Midway Collection 2 (PC/PSX) - Blaster, Splat!, Joust 2, Burger Time, Moon Patrol, Root Beer Tapper, Spy Hunter. Note that Burger Time and Moon Patrol would not appear in the Midway Arcade Treasures series, likely due to licensing issues. Not sure if it has extras, it may not.

Midway's Greatest Arcade Hits Volume II (Dreamcast) - Spy Hunter, Moon Patrol, Paperboy, 720 Degrees, Gauntlet, Rampage. No real extras, I think.

Midway Presents Arcade's Greatest Hits: The Atari Collection 1 (SNES/PSX/Saturn) - Tempest, Centipede, Super Breakout, Missile Command, Asteroids, Battlezone. PSX/Saturn versions have video interviews with the original creators that are not available anywhere else. (Note that on the Saturn, there is analog control in Missile Command, Super Breakout, and Centipede, but ONLY with a Mission Stick -- it will not work with a 3D Controller. Breakout is weird, but it's the only way to play Centipede and Missile Command!) As before the SNES does not save highscores.

Midway Presents Arcade's Greatest Hits: The Atari Collection 2 (PSX) - Crystal Castles, Millipede, Gauntlet, RoadBlasters, Marble Madness, Millipede. Two pre-split Atari Games titles, four post-split ones... it's funny that Midway had the rights to pre-split Atari arcade titles for a while, but they lost them in the late '90s, which is why all Atari collections since have been released by Hasbro (late '90s) or Infogrames/Atari (more recently). Supports mouse and multitap (for Gauntlet).


Oh right, there also were those GBC (Digital Eclipse/Midway) and GBA (DSI Games) one two three game releases that not many people bought because of how few games were included, that they didn't save anything, etc...

GBC, Digital Eclipse/Midway titles: Moon Patrol/Spy Hunter, Marble Madness, Paperboy, Defender/Joust, Rampart, Toobin'.

GBA, DSI Games Midway collection titles: Gauntlet/Rampart, Paperboy/Rampage, Marble Madness/Klax, SpyHunter/Super Sprint
GBA, DSI Games Atari collection titles: Lunar Lander/Super Breakout/Millipede, Pong/Asteroids/Yar's Revenge (would be from Infogrames Atari, not Midway)

fatty said:
After checking out the gameplay on Youtube, I'd have to agree. Kinda reminds me of the PS1 games Project Overkill and Crusader: No Remorse.

What about games where you do follow a railed path, though, but the screen only scrolls when you move forward? I mean games like In the Hunt, Twinkle Tale (Genesis, JP only), Legend off the Valkyrie (Arcade/TG16 JP only -- the only US release of the game is in Namco Museum 5 on the PSX. It has a script and they did translate it for the collection -- the original arcade game is Japanese language only.)... those ones are often counted as shmups. That's why Picky & Rocky is often listed as a shmuplike, too... but it's also why I might do that, I'd still might have to leave out Heavenly Guardian, because of how open the levels are that time. But anyway, stuff like Twinkle Tale and and In the Hunt are so close to being shmups that they're often listed with them despite not being auto-scrolling. Legend of the Valkyrie is a little bit more different, it has some platformer in it too. Great game, but because of that I wouldn't count it I think.

On that note, Bangai-O is also not auto-scrolling; you actually freely roam around the level blowing stuff up, in fact, so it's even less railed than an In the Hunt. If it does belong on the list, that should at least be noted...

I compared the list with this link and updated it since there wasn't too many to look up.

Nice... and yup, you got it right in the listing.

Looking at that though, why are Metal Slugs 1 and 2 listed as Neo-Geo games, while nothing else is? That is, if you're listing Neogeo games, there are a lot more you'd need to list, starting with the system's shmups... but you're not listing shmups for anything before the PS1 and Saturn. So why are there older games listed in the run & gun section, if there aren't in the main list (apart from titles in collections)?

I'm not saying remove them, they are in the VC, but maybe remove the "NEOGEO" word listing unless you're prepared to start listing 16-bit system shmups too, based on shmups.com's lists? :)

... Oh right, and if the PSX and Saturn are there, what about the other systems of that generation... not counting lightgun games or rail shooters and such there aren't too many on the rest of the systems, but for completion's sake I'll list them here at least...

Nintendo 64
--
US
--
Namco Museum 64 - Galaga, Galaxian
Star Soldier: Vanishing Earth
Robotron 64 (arena shooter)

--
Japan
--
Bakuretsu Muteki Bangaioh (with caveat I noted above)
Dezaemon 3D (shmup creator with a few built-in games)

Thanks to FMV games though there were a bunch of rail shooters early in that generation and late in the previous one... most aren't too much to speak about, though, average games at best -- Star Wars: Rebel Assault (partially), Star Wars: Rebel Assault II (partially), Novastorm, Microcosm, etc.

... On that note, there's also Robotron X on the PSX, which is pretty much Robotron 64, but worse.

Yeah, Xyanide Resurrection was meant to be pasted under the Japan and not the US section. Constantly scanning up and down all of the titles I'm surprised I haven't done it more.

And that was a mental brain freeze on my part about Strikers. Strikers 1945 II shouldn't have been included in the Japan list, all of the name changes threw me off.



I was able to copy Serraxor's Saturn list (thanks Serraxor!) right over and compare it to the ones from Shmups.com since it was already alphabetized and complete.

I've touched up the last list as well.

Good job with the updates... the Gamecube list isn't complete, though. You're missing the Milestone stuff:

US
--
Chaos Field

Japan
--
Radirgy GeneriC (Radio Allergy/Radiligy/Rajiruji/however you spell it, it's Radio Allergy in the US Milestone Shooting Collection on Wii)
 
As for Namco Museum...

US Released Titles
--

PSX - All collections have prerendered lobby areas to explore and various extras for at least some of the games. Games not previously released in English have been translated.
--
Namco Museum Vol. 1 - Pac-Man, Galaga, Pole Position, Bosconian, Rally-X, New Rally-X, Toy Pop
Namco Museum Vol. 2 - Xevious, Gaplus, Super Pac-Man, Mappy, Grobda, Dragon Buster
Namco Museum Vol. 3 - Dig Dug, Phozon, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaxian, Pole Position II, The Tower of Druaga (only one of the PSX series to get a Greatest Hits re-release in the US, and thus far more common than the other four here)
Namco Museum Vol. 4 - Assault, Pac-Land, Ordyne, The Return of Ishtar (not previously released in the US I think), The Genji and the Heiki Clans (Genpei Toumaden in Japan, not previously released in the US)
Namco Museum Vol. 5 - The Legend of Valkyrie (not previously released in the US or in English), Metro-Cross, Baraduke, Dragon Spirit, Pac-Mania

Also, Xevious 3D/G+ included, in addition to the new title Xevious 3D/G, Xevious, Super Xevious, and Xevious Arrangement.

N64/Dreamcast (nearly identical on both platforms)
--
Namco Museum 64 (N64) / Namco Museum (DC) - Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Galaxian, Pole Position, Dig Dug. These releases have no extras, unlike the PSX collections. The only difference between these two versions is that the Dreamcast version contains the exclusive VMU minigame "PACit".

Game Boy Advance
--
Namco Museum - Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Galaxian, Pole Position, Dig Dug. No extras.
Namco Museum 50th Anniversary - Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Dig Dug, Rally-X.
Pac-Man Collection - Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Pac-Mania, Pac-Man Arrangement (1996 arcade title, not the PS2/Xbox/GC Namco Museum one)

Gamecube/Xbox/PS2 (they are the same on all three)
--
Namco Museum - Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Pole Position, Pole Position II, Galaxian, Galaga, Pac-Attack (unlockable, SNES port not arcade), Pac-Mania (unlockable), Galaga Arrangement, Pac-Man Arrangement, and Dig Dug Arrangement (the latter three are from the 1995-1996 arcade Namco Classic Collection titles). Contains no extras except for borders based on the original arcade cabinets for vertical-monitor titles.
Namco Museum 50th Anniversary - Bosconian, Dig Dug, Dragon Spirit, Galaxian, Galaga, Mappy, Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Pole Position, Pole Position II, Rally-X, Rolling Thunder, Sky Kid, Xevious, Galaga '88 (unlockable), Pac-Mania (unlockable). No extras worth mentioning - vertical monitor games have black borders. Also on PC.

DS
--
Namco Museum DS - Pac-Man, Galaga, Xevious, Super Xevious, Galaxian, Mappy, The Tower of Druaga, Dig Dug II (older and newer versions), Pac-Man Vs. (ported from the Gamecube, multiplayer only)

PSP
--
Namco Museum Battle Collection - Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Dig-Dug, Rally-X, New Rally-X, Galaga, Galaxian, King and Balloon, Bosconian, Xevious, Tower of Druaga, Dragon Buster, Grobda, Motos, Dig Dug II, Rolling Thunder, Mappy, and completely new remix titles Pac-Man Arrangement, Galaga Arrangement, Dig Dug Arrangement, and New Rally-X Arrangement (these are not ports of the 1995-6 games as with the PS2/Xbox/GC Namco Museum collection, but are new remakes from 2005)

Wii
--
Namco Museum Remix - Galaxian, Pac & Pal, Cutie-Q, Mappy, Dig Dug, Super Pac-Man, Gaplus, Pac-Mania, and five new "remix" titles: Pac'n Roll Remix, Rally-X Remix, Galaga Remix (not the same as Galaga Arrangement, this is a new version), Gator Panic Remix, Pac-Motos.
Virtual Console Arcade titles (downloadable in the Wii shop's Virtual Console Arcade section) - Mappy, Gaplus, The Tower of Druaga

Xbox 360
--
Live Arcade titles: Dig Dug, Galaga, Ms. Pac-Man, New Rally-X, Pac-Man, Xevious, and the new titles Galaga Legions, Pac-Man Championship Edition, and Mr. Driller Online
Namco Museum Virtual Arcade: All of the above titles plus: Baraduke, Bosconian, Dig Dug II, Dragon Buster, Dragon Spirit, Galaga '88, Galaxian, Grobda, King & Balloon, Mappy, Metro-Cross, Motos, Pac & Pal, Pac-Mania, Pole Position, Pole Position II, Rally-X, Rolling Thunder, Sky Kid, Sky Kid Deluxe, Super Pac-Man, The Tower of Druaga, and the 2005 PSP versions of Dig Dug Arrangement, Galaga Arrangement, and Pac-Man Arrangement. Minimal extras. No multiplayer in any titles except for online-only play in some Live Arcade titles.

PS3
--
Namco Museum Essentials (for download on Playstation Network only, not on disc) - Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Galaga, Xevious, Dragon Spirit, and the new game Xevious Resurrection.

Arcades
--
Ms. Pac-Man / Galaga (Pac-Man is in it, but hidden)


Japan Only
--

Playstation
--
Namco Museum Encore - Dragon Saber, Wonder Momo, Rompers, Motos, Sky Kid, King and Balloon, Rolling Thunder

PSP
--
Namco Museum - Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Rally-X, New Rally-X, Galaga, Galaxian, remix titles Pac-Man Arrangement, Galaga Arrangement, Dig-Dug Arrangement from the PS2/Xbox/GC collection, and the new remix title New Rally-X Arrangement.
Namco Museum Vol. 2 - King and Balloon, Bosconian, Xevious, Tower of Druaga, Dragon Buster, Grobda, Motos, Dig Dug II, Rolling Thunder, Mappy, Dragon Spirit, and new remix titles Motos Arrangement, Pac-Man Arrangement Plus (new version). Everything from both JP PSP collections except for Dragon Spirit is in the US PSP Namco Museum Battle Collection, except in one collection instead of two.

Wii
--
Virtual Console Arcade titles (downloadable in the Wii shop's Virtual Console Arcade section) - New Rally-X, Galaga, Bosconian, Toy Pop, Xevious, Grobga, Dragon Buster, Galaxian, Dig Dug, The Return of Ishtar, The Genji and the Heiki Clans, Assault, Ordyne, Pac-Mania, The Legend of Valkyrie, Baraduke, Dragon Spirit, Sky Kid, Rolling Thunder, Galaga '88, Dig Dug II.

Arcades
--
Namco Classic Collection Vol. 1 - Mappy, Galaga, Xevious, Super Xevious, and new titles Mappy Arrangement, Xevious Arrangement, Galaga Arrangement. Galaga Arrangement and Xevious Arragement have home ports in collections, but Mappy Arrangement does not.
Namco Classic Collection Vol. 2 - Pac-Man, Rally-X, Dig Dug, Pac-Man Arrangement, Rally-X Arrangement, Dig Dug Arrangement. All three have home ports in collections.
 

Drkirby

Corporate Apologist
fatty said:
Yeah, I'm thinking of leaving the other Midway and Namco collections off since there are so many and we've listed the most accessible ones. If anyone wants to know more about the different versions, Wikipedia has a nice summary of all the Midway and Namco collections.

If there are other rail shooters worthy of mentioning, I'm all for anyone that wants to list them and I may add them to the list, I just don't want to list something because it happens to fall into the category. I'm also contemplating moving the arena shooters into the sub-genre list at the end but I'm not sure if I we should introduce another sub-category. That, and I'm lazy. Games like Cannon Spike I feel should be let off of the main list and considered on the last one on a case by case basis. In Cannon Spike's case, I probably wouldn't list it as I didn't think much of it but I know others are quite fond of it.



Congrats, for only $10 you got a really great deal. Speaking of Gamestop, now is a great time to add to a shooter collection since many are so cheap.

At Gamestop I recently picked up:
Taito Collection-used (PS2) $5
Raiden III-used (PS2) $6
Castle of Shikigami III-new (Wii) $10

I also noticed:
Blast Works-new (Wii) $10
Taito Collection 2-used $5
Gradius III and IV-used (PS2) $8
Heavenly Guardian-new (Wii) $10 (just because it has been mentioned in this thread)
On the books the Gradius Collection for the PSP is $6, but no one has it. I would have to drive 40 miles to get it.

I really should grab the two Taito Collections again. Don't forget to note, #2 has most of the shumps, #1 is more of there better known arcade classics.


Oh, and Xevious 3D/G+ came out in NA for the PS1
 

t3nmilez

Member
Tain said:
aaaaahah fuck. Yeah, I don't "get" Treasure games. Each and every one of them are fucking mysteries, all far too grand for my mainstream-ass brain to handle.

Well, with all of the pretentious BS that floods Ikaruga, it's not surprising that us common people can't understand the beauty of the "art"! I guess people only looking for a solid shooting game just can't appreciate such brilliance!

I also think Treasure is overrated to hell and they make mediocre games. I can see why they're so popular though, they're pretty and fairly easy to understand. I find most of them really boring though. Ikaruga has too many slow and boring parts that feel like a waste of time, the first two levels are like tutorials and the first half of stage three is just tedious. The last couple of stages are more interesting, but it's not worth slogging through the other crap just to reach them. Gradius 5 has some really good parts, but it's sandwiched between slow and dull parts, and the overall pacing of the game is weak. It can also be too difficult to recover after a death, which I suppose is a staple of the Gradius series, but it just leads to unnecessary frustration. Despite some of the problems it has, Otomedius did a great job of putting you right back into the action with a fighting chance after death.
 

jibblypop

Banned
t3nmilez said:
Well, with all of the pretentious BS that floods Ikaruga, it's not surprising that us common people can't understand the beauty of the "art"! I guess people only looking for a solid shooting game just can't appreciate such brilliance!

I think it depends what you are looking for. I understand that some beginners (and experts) are turned off by the style of Ikaruga but equally I find beginners are turned off by the bullet hell Cave games since they look impossible when you look at the screen for the first time.
The reason I liked Ikaruga and still do is because it looks possible to beat for me (even though I still never beat it) but most bullet hell games I feel like I just appear and die over and over.

On that note does anyone have any advice for someone that wants to get more into the cave style games? I like them overall but I kind of just plow through them using tons of continues and never seem to improve. I feel like there is some kind of strategy to staying alive when the entire screen is full of bullets but damned if I know what it is.
 

oracrest

Member
jibblypop said:
raiden2-04.jpg

When I think about it, to this day it's been this game that gives me the most joy out of anything in the whole genre.

Whenever I list my favorite shmup of all time, I always say Ikaruga because that game just sucks me in and makes me be meticulous but for pure fun, nothing will ever top Raiden 2 for me.

I'm a dead sucker for shmups games though. Bullet hell ones are always my least favorite but I feel it must be just because I haven't figured out the secret to them yet.

Yeah man, same here. Raiden II went overboard with environmental effects, and destruction happening to the landscape below you as you. I always loved the sprite look over 3D for shooters anyways, and this guy is the pinnacle.

In the Hunt probably sits right to Raiden II on my fun list, that one is just as balls out insane.

inthehunt-1.png
 

danmaku

Member
jibblypop said:
I think it depends what you are looking for. I understand that some beginners (and experts) are turned off by the style of Ikaruga but equally I find beginners are turned off by the bullet hell Cave games since they look impossible when you look at the screen for the first time.
The reason I liked Ikaruga and still do is because it looks possible to beat for me (even though I still never beat it) but most bullet hell games I feel like I just appear and die over and over.

On that note does anyone have any advice for someone that wants to get more into the cave style games? I like them overall but I kind of just plow through them using tons of continues and never seem to improve. I feel like there is some kind of strategy to staying alive when the entire screen is full of bullets but damned if I know what it is.

You should play Espgaluda, it's their easiest game and has a "slowdown mode" that you can activate anytime (as long as you have emeralds). It helps A LOT for the most difficult parts, and after a while you'll discover that you no longer need to use the slowdown because you learned how to deal with that pattern. It actually teaches you how to play bullet hell games. But you'll need a japanese PS2 to play it (unless you can emulate it, I don't know if it's possible). Blue Wish Resurrection is another good game for beginners, it's easy but still 100% bullet hell. It's a PC doujin game, it shouldn't be hard to find.

About the "continue" problem, I think that Ikaruga had the best approach: no continues at first, so you are forced to play the game "properly", but if you keep playing (and hopefully get better) it gives you more credits and after 8 hrs you have unlimited continues. So you can (well, you must) experience the game the way it's meant to be played but if you persevere it gives you the opportunity to see the end even without mastering it. Unfortunately, the reason why shmups are usually considered shallow and short is exactly because most people will credit feed until the end, if you give them the possibility, and then they'll stop playing. It may seem too hard and unforgiving, but having a clear goal (finish the game / achievements) can motivate people much more than an abstract number known as "score".
 

Drkirby

Corporate Apologist
The PAL version Gunbird Special Edition for the PS2 can be had pretty cheaply on ebay for an import. I just bought a copy of $9.15. Gigawing can also be had for about $30, but I am going to hold out and see if I can get it for less.
 

Anso

Member
Drkirby said:
The PAL version Gunbird Special Edition for the PS2 can be had pretty cheaply on ebay for an import. I just bought a copy of $9.15. Gigawing can also be had for about $30, but I am going to hold out and see if I can get it for less.

GigaWing and Raiden III are the more "expensive" of the PAL PS2 60Hz shmups. Homura can be found for next to nothing though and I urge everyone to try it, nice vert published by Taito and developed by Skonec (Psyvariar and more).
 

Drkirby

Corporate Apologist
Is there any reason to buy the PAL version of Raiden III over the NA version?

And if Homura is cheap, it must be cheap in just Europe, since online I can't find a copy under $30. Do you live in Europe by chance? Maybe you can by and ship us your cheap European Shumps :lol
 

Anso

Member
Drkirby said:
Is there any reason to buy the PAL version of Raiden III over the NA version?

And if Homura is cheap, it must be cheap in just Europe, since online I can't find a copy under $30. Do you live in Europe by chance? Maybe you can by and ship us your cheap European Shumps :lol

No reason to buy PAL Raiden III over NA version unless you're a PAL collector (which I am for some unknown and probably dumb reason). Raiden III was only released in Italy/France afaik so it's one of those rare PAL titles much like the PAL Ar Tonelico.

Homura is definitely more expensive online where people are aware it's a good import. In stores around Europe (I live in Sweden for example) you can find it much, much cheaper. My copy was $13 and considering how much games cost in Sweden it can be even cheaper elsewhere. If I find a copy at a local store I'll pick it up and let you buy it cheap.
 
PSP
JPN releases

Sengoku Cannon : Sengoku Ace Episode 3
Star Soldier
Xyanide
Capcom Classic Collection (contains 1942, 1943, 1943 Kai, Gunsmoke, Ultimate Ecology, Exed Ezes, Commando, Mercs)
Salamander Portable (contains Salamander, Salamander 2, Gradius 2, Xexex)
Gradius Collection (contains Gradius, Gradius II, Gradius III, Gradius IV, Gradius Gaiden)
Parodius Portable (contains Parodius, Parodius Da!, Gokujou Parodius, Sexy Parodius, Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius)
Twinbee Portable (contains Twinbee, Detana Twinbee, Pop'n Twinbee, Twinbee Yahoo!)
Rei Chouaniki
Stikers 1945 Plus Portable
Space Invaders Extreme
PC Engine Collection : Soldier Collection (contains Final Soldier, Super Star Soldier, Soldier Blade, Star Parodier)
PC Engine Collection : Ginga Ojousama Densetsu Collection (contains Sapphire)
Darius Burst
 

t3nmilez

Member
jibblypop said:
On that note does anyone have any advice for someone that wants to get more into the cave style games? I like them overall but I kind of just plow through them using tons of continues and never seem to improve. I feel like there is some kind of strategy to staying alive when the entire screen is full of bullets but damned if I know what it is.

You seem to realize your own fault of just using tons of continues. Just don't continue when you die, plain and simple. If the game has a score attack mode which only gives you one continue, then stick to that. You might die a lot at first, but you'll also learn the game and will be able to survive longer on that one credit.

Really, danmaku games are no harder than other shooters, in fact they're usually easier because some of the older games have questionable hitboxes. The key to a danmaku game is to know where your hitbox is, and be aware that the majority of bullets on the screen have little chance of hitting you. Just keep focused, on that hitbox, eventually you'll start to be able to pick out which bullets are a danger to you, and you can move through the patterns. Also, don't be afraid to use the entire screen to dodge, lots of people stay towards the bottom, which can work, but it can also severely limit your chances of survival.

There's no "magic" to being good at a danmaku game, it's all just practice and self control.
 

luminaire28

Neo Member
Raiden II and R-Type Delta are a couple of my favorite shoot'em ups. I wish R-Type Leo would've been released in that R-Types collection at least.
 
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