Parallax Scroll
Banned
(OP edited to include twisty stick shooters as well)
This thread is for talking about how awesome twin stick and twisty stick shooters are. Specifically, twin stick games are action games with a top-down view where one joystick controls walking, and the other joystick shoots, allowing you to fire in a different direction than you are walking. These games tend to have a very high number of onscreen enemies, since the control scheme allows you to more easily deal with so many enemies at once. Twisty stick games only have one joystick, but you can rotate the joystick to change your character's firing direction. Here are some of the classics:
Robotron 2084
I have to include this because it's the granddaddy of twin stick shooters, but I actually haven't played this one much! :O What the hell am I doing making this thread? Hopefully someone else can go into what makes this one good.
Smash TV
I'll let the game's backstory speak for itself:
This game is so badass. You are swarmed with so many enemies that all you can do is carve enough of a swath through them that you have room to stand. The gameplay is simple: Kill all the enemies in the room, then pick which door to go through. Pick up any cash and prizes you see. Repeat until you reach a boss.
This is one of the first great co-op games. The challenge is so high that it really pays to work together, but one of your main objectives in the game is to collect as many prizes and piles of cash as you can, so you're always scrambling to grab more than the other guy. The bosses in this are EPIC, and at the end of each level it counts up which player won more cash, toasters, magnificent 4200 inch TVs, etc. Also there are a shit ton of secrets. Both the arcade and SNES versions of this are really good.
Total Carnage
The bigger, badder, more violent follow-up to Smash TV. The evil General Akhboob has invaded the middle east or something. The Americans' response is to send in the Doomsday Squad: Major Mayhem and Captain Carnage. Gameplay is mostly like Smash TV, but the levels are bigger and there are some parts where you can call in airstrikes. There's also a fun electric chair sequence that will feel familiar to Metal Gear Solid fans. The story is hilarious, half of which is General Akhboob talking shit to you between levels.
Modern games on XBLA, PSN, etc
In the last few years there have been some really cool twin stick shooters like Geometry Wars and Super Stardust HD. Instead of the humor and ridiculous amounts of violence that Smash TV and Total Carnage had, these games feature bright colors, insane special effects, and smooth 60 fps 1080p graphics. I love these games less than Smash TV and Total Carnage, so they don't get screenshots.
Who else loves twin stick shooters?
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Edit: Twisty stick shooters like Ikari Warriors are also welcome in this thread.
This thread is for talking about how awesome twin stick and twisty stick shooters are. Specifically, twin stick games are action games with a top-down view where one joystick controls walking, and the other joystick shoots, allowing you to fire in a different direction than you are walking. These games tend to have a very high number of onscreen enemies, since the control scheme allows you to more easily deal with so many enemies at once. Twisty stick games only have one joystick, but you can rotate the joystick to change your character's firing direction. Here are some of the classics:
Robotron 2084
I have to include this because it's the granddaddy of twin stick shooters, but I actually haven't played this one much! :O What the hell am I doing making this thread? Hopefully someone else can go into what makes this one good.
Smash TV
I'll let the game's backstory speak for itself:
This game is so badass. You are swarmed with so many enemies that all you can do is carve enough of a swath through them that you have room to stand. The gameplay is simple: Kill all the enemies in the room, then pick which door to go through. Pick up any cash and prizes you see. Repeat until you reach a boss.
This is one of the first great co-op games. The challenge is so high that it really pays to work together, but one of your main objectives in the game is to collect as many prizes and piles of cash as you can, so you're always scrambling to grab more than the other guy. The bosses in this are EPIC, and at the end of each level it counts up which player won more cash, toasters, magnificent 4200 inch TVs, etc. Also there are a shit ton of secrets. Both the arcade and SNES versions of this are really good.
Total Carnage
The bigger, badder, more violent follow-up to Smash TV. The evil General Akhboob has invaded the middle east or something. The Americans' response is to send in the Doomsday Squad: Major Mayhem and Captain Carnage. Gameplay is mostly like Smash TV, but the levels are bigger and there are some parts where you can call in airstrikes. There's also a fun electric chair sequence that will feel familiar to Metal Gear Solid fans. The story is hilarious, half of which is General Akhboob talking shit to you between levels.
Modern games on XBLA, PSN, etc
In the last few years there have been some really cool twin stick shooters like Geometry Wars and Super Stardust HD. Instead of the humor and ridiculous amounts of violence that Smash TV and Total Carnage had, these games feature bright colors, insane special effects, and smooth 60 fps 1080p graphics. I love these games less than Smash TV and Total Carnage, so they don't get screenshots.
Who else loves twin stick shooters?
----
Edit: Twisty stick shooters like Ikari Warriors are also welcome in this thread.
