The SHMUP music sharing game.

[LordHypnos]

Not unlike the other UPL game I've played (Omega Fighter), Acrobat Mission seems to have pretty solid musix.

https://youtu.be/EXsjzCyDaZI
EDIT: Reminds me a bit of the music from Biometal. For this reason, I decided to check out the SNES version of the track.
Here it is: https://youtu.be/t_evA2lFE6g

[BIL]

Oh wao, Image Fight II's OST is HAWT I don't always get along with early 90s redbook quasi-ASTs, but this one's great. The best stuff is very New Order-esque with the clubby beats/icy keys/manful bass combo. Barney and Hooky would approve, were they not busy litigating the shit out of each other! Not many tracks on YT unfortunately.

[Stage 10] super hawt final stage BGM, with booming crystal-clear production just like all the game's IF1 arrangements. Killer soldiering bassline.
[Penalty Area] Blue Monday given a boot up the ass and lashed into super lean runtime for more efficient disco-moping.

[donluca]

Not sure if this was posted before, but the Thunder Force IV OMAKE tracks are great.

My favorite is the fifth one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-oQ98U ... --&index=5

[Xyga]

Anyone got a rip of Fire Barrel please ?

Tried M1FX but it's not working with that game.

I saw FF Jet Pilot put it on YT but I'd rather have files if possible (or a working method to rip it myself).

Thanks!

[LordHypnos]

@donluca: a few have been posted. TFIV is definitely the height of shmup soundtrackitude, and the omake tracks are no exception. I know that I posted Omake 4 not long ago

Calling it a shmup is probably bending the truth a whole lot, but Red Zone is one of my other favorite Genesis OSTs. Way better than Jesper Kyd's earlier Sub Terrania soundtrack, IMO (also good, but too repetetive. This one is also repetetive, but it's a bit more subtle about it ).
The graphics are probably the most technically impressive on the Genesis, and the music is amazing. Apparently the game is just awful though. Basically a tech demo.

Mission Complete
Retirement
Night Mission

Note that the loops are all crazy long. I think SNESosT usually posts 2 or maybe 2.5 of the loop when uploading songs. This is even true of some tracks that must only be playing for under a minute in a normal game.

[Durandal]

I like the C64 influence in the tracks of Red Zone. Heck, nearly each track is as long as your usual C64 track as well.

[LordHypnos]

I like the C64 influence in the tracks of Red Zone. Heck, nearly each track is as long as your usual C64 track as well.

Yeah, you can definitely tell where Jesper Kyd's roots lie, actually the european demoscene is where all the guys from Zyrinx started out, I think. Apparently there's quite a few instances of him quoting a specific C64 song, "Zoids" by Rob Hubbard.

[Perikles]

It might be severely flawed on the gameplay front, but MSX Salamander has some amazing tunes, my favorite being Departure Again, such a beautiful track.

Also Sapphire, stage 4. Not only extremely impressive as a technical marvel, it's stellar for both survival play and (especially) scoring, too. It might not be quite as deep as Rayforce (from which it heavily draws aesthetical inspiration), it's without a doubt the most satisyfing scoring system for a 16-bit shooter, though (in my opinion at least). Very unusual for a Hudson Soft game, indeed - this one is as cruel as Paranoia's cheeky imp.

[BIL]

It might be severely flawed on the gameplay front, but MSX Salamander has some amazing tunes, my favorite being Departure Again, such a beautiful track.

MSX Salamander, Gradius 2 and Gradius 3 have tons of great music between them - I can never quite stomach the brutally choppy scrolling, but their soundtracks are some of Konami's finest ever. Adventurous, punchy, hyper-melodic... and that MSX tone is gorgeous! Stately balance of austerity and warmth. I've often enjoyed just listening to Gradius 2's from end to end.

Superb tracknames too (one of my great personal JP gaming affections). I can never quite let go of Metal Black's "NON FICTION" for my sig line, but "KILLER LOVE," "BLAZED UP" and "TEARS BEGAN GUSHING" are persistent contenders!

I highly recommend getting hold of the Gradius Ultimate Collection and Konami Shooting Collection albums; they neatly collect all three MSX originals, plus many of the great variants like MSX Gradius, PCE Gradius+Salamander, FC Gradius II and SFC Gradius III. Lots of other good stuff too, from a range of formats (Thunder Cross, Trigon, Space Manbow, even Nemesis '90 Kai).

Also, can't endorse this fan soundtrack highly enough. It's an original modeled on Konami's 80s MSX shooter music, most closely Gradius 2, and passes for one of theirs flawlessly. Another I like to just let run through occasionally.

>"Colony" manful.
>"Iceberg That Approaches" manfuller.
>"Person Goes Forward" goofy and cheerful as hell. reminds me of SFC Gradius III's compulsively hummable bonus stage theme. ^__^

[BIL]

HEADPHONES WARNING: ALL LINKS HAVE A COUPLE SECONDS SILENCE AT START, LOWER YOUR VOLUME OR RISK OBLITERATION BY THE SUDDEN MAGNETIC WAVE

Ahem. Now, Chimera Beast has a cool OST defined by hard-soldiering bass guitar! Right from bootup it owns your motherfucking face with a flame-spewing psychobilly hoedown as you're regaled with the ghastly tale of EATERS... and the boss BGM is exactly the stalwart morale-bolstering jam you need for fucking up rival pond-life! It even fits in a peppy st2 BGM even more at odds with the morbid plot!

However that's not what this post is about! Rather I just stumbled onto this chiptune-styled doujin arrangement complete with adorable chibi fanart. Surprisingly good music for a never-released STG.

[trap15]

I still don't understand the huge cult following that game has. Maybe it's just because it's so unique and, well, disgusting.

[BIL]

I blame Rob.

[Shepardus]

I quite like Guwange's stage 1 theme(Falling Cherry Blossoms). Unfortunately it's kinda hard to hear it under all the sound effects in-game. The ending theme (Morning Star) and the stage 3 theme (Underworld Cherry Blossoms) are also worth mentioning.

[Squire Grooktook]

Guwange's stage 3 theme is ungodly beautiful and half the magic in what I'd argue is one of the top 5 most atmospheric video game stages of all time.

[copy-paster]

Here's my pick for the first Darius music, even all of them are good IMO :

Boss Scene 2 Very good, it captures the sea-like theme

Boss Scene 4 Strange and crazy....

Boss Scene 6 My favorite after boss scene 7 music, looks like something from 60-80's live/TV show. The MSX rendition is even better though.

Ending theme is beautiful too, one of the cheerfullest ending music in shmups ever, even better version.

[Stevens]

Yeah, you can definitely tell where Jesper Kyd's roots lie, actually the european demoscene is where all the guys from Zyrinx started out, I think. Apparently there's quite a few instances of him quoting a specific C64 song, "Zoids" by Rob Hubbard.

Adventures of Batman and Robin, Scorcher, and Red Zone are fantastic.

MDK 2 though? I could listen to that forever, particularly Max's BGM. Where is my MDK 3?!

Back on topic though I am a huge fan of chip based tunes. There are some great channels on YouTube. It is practically all I listen to anymore.

[LordHypnos]

Yeah, you can definitely tell where Jesper Kyd's roots lie, actually the european demoscene is where all the guys from Zyrinx started out, I think. Apparently there's quite a few instances of him quoting a specific C64 song, "Zoids" by Rob Hubbard.

Adventures of Batman and Robin, Scorcher, and Red Zone are fantastic.

MDK 2 though? I could listen to that forever, particularly Max's BGM. Where is my MDK 3?!

Back on topic though I am a huge fan of chip based tunes. There are some great channels on YouTube. It is practically all I listen to anymore.

MDK 2, huh? was that also Kyd? I should really get back to that game at some point as it's definitely pretty cool. I don't, unfortunately remember the BGM much except that it was pretty ambient. Will have to look that up.

EDIT: Apparently I just wasn't turning up the sound loud enough before. Not very ambient. Really good music!

On topic: Here's another Battle Garegga. IDK whether this has been posted or not: https://youtu.be/4Edu8-D1jAY
That game has an amazing soundtrack. I feel like the music quality of the bat trilogy went down with each game, though there are a few standout tracks in all of them.

[copy-paster]

IDK whether this has been posted or not: https://youtu.be/4Edu8-D1jAY

The Batrider version is much better.

ALso, I never knew that Love Dream, Thunder Force IV's maniac ending theme has a arranged version with JP vocal. The general verson is great but this.... Must listen.

[CloudyMusic]

Guwange's stage 3 theme is ungodly beautiful and half the magic in what I'd argue is one of the top 5 most atmospheric video game stages of all time.

I'm late on this, but I'm just going to say yes to this. Guwange's stage 3 is one of my favorite shmup stages, and the music fits it perfectly.

[LordHypnos]

Don't Go Off
Those are some sexy tones. I'm gonna have to rip those instruments at some point to see what they are, though I'm guessing the total sound is the result of multiple things combining together like in Space Walk.

[Captain]

Gradius Gaiden loop 2. Pre-stage theme.

It gets straight inside your head and never leaves.

[BIL]

It's stirring stuff for sure ;_;7

Does it sound like a riff on the Game Over jingle to anyone else? I always got that vibe. Somewhat related, I love the echoing of the "Speed" melody during the endboss's trash-talking last stand, and likewise, the first loop dogfight BGM in the Name Entry theme.

Gaiden's OST is pretty special, catchy tunes and cinematic sense in proportion. The seamless escalation of "Speed" during stage 9.1's dogfight and infiltration creates extreme pressure to not die and screw up the production! (・｀ω´・)

[Captain]

I think the charm of Gaiden's ost is the same as Eliminate down's: the songs are all good, but made even better because they're also very fitting for what's happening!

Much better than the random music or series of tracks all based around one theme (mind you, speed and loop2+ are the only theme-sharing tracks in gg) you find in many shmups.

[pegboy]

I think the charm of Gaiden's ost is the same as Eliminate down's: the songs are all good, but made even better because they're also very fitting for what's happening!

Much better than the random music or series of tracks all based around one theme (mind you, speed and loop2+ are the only theme-sharing tracks in gg) you find in many shmups.

I'm pretty sure that theme appears when you get a game over and also briefly during the final boss.

Gradius Gaiden for sure is has one of the best soundtracks in shmup history, and perhaps all of video games as well. I don't think I've ever seen a more fitting progression of music for a final stage than Speed + Inside Mission.

Gradius V has a very awesome "final stage" (i.e. stage 7) track progression as well, with 3 different kick ass compositions.

[Perikles]

RayStorm's final boss music is excellent - lends the appropriate gravitas and grandeur to the final encounter of an insanely brutal game. Too bad I'll most likely never hear it during an actual run, RayStorm is to RayForce what Raiden II is to the first Raiden.

[copy-paster]

A Hysteric Woman Goes Over The Sun.

Strikers 1999 boss theme, beawtiful.

[Shepardus]

A Hysteric Woman Goes Over The Sun.

Strikers 1999 boss theme, beawtiful.

That title is just as beautiful.

[copy-paster]

That title is just as beautiful.

Honorable Mentions :

None of the Phenomena of the Universe.

Interval of a Huge Gorge.

[LordHypnos]

Does Undertale count as a shmup? I haven't played it, but I like some of the music, such as Ruins, for example.

Or check out this cool AC styled arrange of Ruins
>_>
<_<

[Square_Air]

Adding to the list of Super Aleste tracks on here, this one has always stood out to me as one of the best single tracks in any shmup. So funky I can't help but whistle and dance along.
Space Platform

The Stonelike theme when you encounter Xiga in Radiant Silvergun always sends chills down my fucking spine. It's so sorrowful and hopeless, the perfect theme to being physically and spiritually crushed by an ancient deity.
The Stone-Like