What's the BEST moment in any shmup you've played?

[jepjepjep]

- When you descend down the tunnel in Ketsui

- When the boss theme for Black Heart starts and the small ships come out in Garegga

- When you start a game in Fire Shark and the opening riff starts playing as the plane takes off, pumps me up every time

[Giest118]

I'm gonna add Crimzon Clover's "Double Break" mode. Doesn't matter how many times I use it, it's just as awesome every time. Also, Unlimited Mode.

[Vexorg]

When you manage to actually pull off the X64 combo on one of the bosses in Battle Bakraid for big points. I think I've only managed it once or twice.. Oh, and there's just something really satisfying about firing off one of those huge missile barrages that a number of the planes in Raiden Fighters have, or getting the Judge Spear's weapons powered up and filling up half the screen with tiny little suspiciously green explosions...

[Captain]

I'm gonna add Crimzon Clover's "Double Break" mode. Doesn't matter how many times I use it, it's just as awesome every time. Also, Unlimited Mode.

Level one unlimited music, every time.

suspiciously green explosions

Elaborate please.

[soupbones]

Last boss in Lightning Force - when the spaceship grows fucking legs and starts crawling up the launch silo. I think I cried to myself "he. just. won't. die."

[Giest118]

I'm seriously gonna add "the last form of the True True Last Boss of DoTonPachi Maximum" to this thread.

I could not fucking believe it when I saw it. It's like Hibachi piloting a gundam.

[davyK]

The level in Parodius 2 (Fantastic Journey) in which the William Tell Overture kicks in at the start - I found it hard to believe that something so good could be experienced at home (on the good old Saturn)

[OdiousTrident]

Various points in Soldier Blade. From the Stage 4 boss onto Stage 5 the game moves into epic territory IMO.

The first time I saw a mecha bust out of some warmachine in the Strikers 1945 series... can't remember which one.

The cinematic opening of MUSHA. Also the last level of Robo Aleste.

The first bosses (or real challenge) in most manics (DDP and Batsugun onwards) are great moments; never gets old.

The stage 4 boss in Raiden DX / II really does it for me as well for some reason.

[AweOfShe]

I was watching some Saidaioujou vids, and I like how the third and forth bosses teleport into the fight.

[Lord Satori]

not sure if this qualifies as the BEST moment in any shmup I've played, but I'm gonna put the second boss of samidare in here. everything just struck me at once. the gundam-like appearance of it and the desperation of its attacks combined with the epic and powerful music makes for a difficult yet awesome boss! I especially love the way its arm and leg break off as the battle progresses.

[O. Van Bruce]

When I first watched the TLB of HELLSINKER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka8Krt0Zc2g

When I saw this on that game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q8QSLYJ1LA (not as epic as HELLSINKER but it was hilarious).

[Obscura]

I have literally absolutely no idea what is happening in that Hellsinker TLB vid.

[SuperSoaker360]

I have literally absolutely no idea what is happening in that Hellsinker TLB vid.

I usually hate playing shmups on my laptop in public. I'm one who doesn't like attracting a lot of attention, especially when it's some crazy bombastic bullet-hell game with plenty of colours (Touhou comes to mind).
But when it comes to Hellsinker, it's different. I always love playing the Extra stages or the final boss in public because their reactions will often range from the typical "How the hell are you dodging that?" to the flabbergasted "What the fuck is going on?"

WHY I'M JUST KEEPING MY DIGNITY IS ALL

[O. Van Bruce]

I have literally absolutely no idea what is happening in that Hellsinker TLB vid.

You are being given the cat you lost some years ago.

WITH ENGRISH AWESOME!

[Seahawk]

The final stage in Axelay is a beautiful thing.
Starts off with triumphant music, and you go against the final enemy fleet, blowing everything to kingdom come.
Then you get to the final battleship, everything goes dark, the lights go out save for the light beam from the walker, the moody music starts up.
A muffled speech plays, and then a gate closes -- "You shouldn't have come. You're fucked now."
The music becomes intense, heart pounding, desperate - perfect for the final stage.
During the stage, the lights in the background cycle on and off, letting you know you are really in the core of the enemy's fleet.
At the boss, you shoot, you think you've won -- then the enemy scans your ship, creates clones, and makes you fight yourself. When you shoot, they shoot. When you destroy one, it explodes with the same sound that plays when you yourself are destroyed. When you die, they all die.
When you finally do it, the epic escape, with the fastest scrolling I've ever seen on the SNES.
The boss comes back for a final round, now a time limited affair -- take too long, and the explosions behind move forward, screwing you.

"The battle is over. You have saved your people."

[Mortificator]

I got bored with Axelay around the third stage, but now I kinda want to finish it.

[Obiwanshinobi]

A muffled speech plays, and then a gate closes -- "You shouldn't have come. You're fucked now."

I wonder if Einhänder refers to that. Makes the data streaming intermissions moody like you wouldn't believe (even by the generic standards pretty high in sidescrollers).

[qmish]

Real boss eats false boss in Salamander 2

Storming stage during lightning while high in the skies in Raiden Fighters

[Marc]

The final stage in Axelay is a beautiful thing.
Starts off with triumphant music, and you go against the final enemy fleet, blowing everything to kingdom come.
Then you get to the final battleship, everything goes dark, the lights go out save for the light beam from the walker, the moody music starts up.
A muffled speech plays, and then a gate closes -- "You shouldn't have come. You're fucked now."
The music becomes intense, heart pounding, desperate - perfect for the final stage.
During the stage, the lights in the background cycle on and off, letting you know you are really in the core of the enemy's fleet.
At the boss, you shoot, you think you've won -- then the enemy scans your ship, creates clones, and makes you fight yourself. When you shoot, they shoot. When you destroy one, it explodes with the same sound that plays when you yourself are destroyed. When you die, they all die.
When you finally do it, the epic escape, with the fastest scrolling I've ever seen on the SNES.
The boss comes back for a final round, now a time limited affair -- take too long, and the explosions behind move forward, screwing you.

"The battle is over. You have saved your people."

I like you. Been playing lots of Axelay lately, and the entire game as a whole is epic. Visually and aurally it's probably one of the most perfect shooters I've ever played.

[copy-paster]

Absolute Defender vs planet destroyer ship in G-Darius is pure awesome, also the entire Nu stage.

[CaptainKraken]

Touhou 16, stage three. Specifically when the midboss appears and starts shooting those lovely waves along with the music.

Eschatos, when you get to the moon. The way the music and background suddenly get really fast and intense is quite something.

[Mischief Maker]

I like the voice sample saying, Meditation... in between the stages in G-Darius.

Also the ending where the pilots kiss as they disintegrate.

[LordHypnos]

The gold cube waterfall in stage 3 and the gold cube fountain in stage 4 of Mars Matrix have got to be up there. Also some of the death animations. Stage 3 boss (the crab one), which turns red and shakes before blowing up, and stage 5 boss, because the turret keeps following your ship while it's exploding. Good stuff.

[Lobinden]

-When the third boss of Crimson Clover enters its second phase with the spinning wheels of death.
-The transition between the first two parts of crimson clover's stage 5, and the fact that it has a randomly-selected message for you if you reach this part on your first credit (even addressing you by name on the steam version!)
-Just about everything in the final two stages of RefleX. I've never seen a shmup get so shonen anime before.
-The rival mech who's been bothering you up to this point appears for one last quick showdown after beating the final boss in MUSHA.
-Finding out about the nude patch in deep space waifu (ok I'm joking here )
-Speed sections in the Gradius games (and also the one part in stage 5 of Satazius)

[dpful]

Shienryu when the big grey ship appears and fades through the clouds just a little bit, as well as when it breaks apart and makes that noise.
When the red robot appears and roars.

On Raiden 2, I still can't get over the sounds and sights of the red ship taking off into the air just before the space Level, and especially covered with the toothpaste laser.

[copy-paster]

Backwards scrolling in vertical shmups can be impressive and add the intensity to the game (Ketsui st5, Recca st2, 19XX st3 and final stage are best example).

The entire cloud stage of Battle Garegga is awesome too.

[Despatche]

Basically every stage portion in Under Defeat.

[chempop]

When you get the upgrade (charge shot) attachment in ThunderforceIV.

The lightning storm in MUSHA.

Leaving the atmosphere in Raiden.

[Stevens]

Basically every stage portion in Under Defeat.

While I would be hard pressed to not agree with this I'll whittle it down a bit:

The PA announcements at the start of stage two, just before the control tower. and before the final boss (once I found the translation) stick out.

That game is aces.

[schleichfahrt]

Aero Fighters 3, the Giant Squid ending. Pants were soiled.