Best Shmups by Each Company

[iconoclast]

This isn't based on my opinion, it's what I think would win in most people's opinions.

Cave - Mushihimesama Futari

Ouch!

DOJ, Ketsui and Espgaluda II would like to see you in the corner with the knuckle dusters and baseball bats.

Futari is better than all of those, tho.

[-S.L-]

agreed

[Bananamatic]

yotsubane - crimzon clover

[-S.L-]

[CStarFlare]

I dunno man, Garukiller v.01 is pretty tite.

[Squire Grooktook]

This isn't based on my opinion, it's what I think would win in most people's opinions.

Cave - Mushihimesama Futari

Ouch!

DOJ, Ketsui and Espgaluda II would like to see you in the corner with the knuckle dusters and baseball bats.

Futari is better than all of those, tho.

I like Ketsui's scoring system better, but I like Futari and Doj's patterns and level design best.

[-S.L-]

Best Cave shooting game is Mushihime Tama

[japanesesuperplayer]

I don't really have a lot of experience with most stg companies (I've only played 1-2 games for most) so I can't really give a proper opinion for them, but I guess Futari Orignal or BL Original for Cave and Batrider with Raizing. Or maybe Ketsui for Cave, even though I hate everything about Ketsui. It's still really good.

[ZaKa-tokyobassist]

Nintendo - Star Fox 64
Irem - R-TYPE Delta
Capcom - U.N. Squadron
Cave - Ketsui
Hudson Soft - Soldier Blade
Konami - Gradius Gaiden/Gradius V
Raizing - Battle Garegga
Toaplan - Batsugan
TecnoSoft - Thunder Force V: Perfect System
Namco - Galaga Legions DX
Taito - G. Darius
Compile - Super Aleste
Psikyo - Zero Gunner 2
Treasure - Ikaruga/Radiant Silvergun
MOSS - Raiden IV Overkill
G.Rev - Border Down/Strania

[Icarus]

yotsubane - crimzon clover

The original one? :3

[BrianC]

Best Cave shooting game is Mushihime Tama

I agree. Also:

Best Konami shmup - Quarth
Best Compile shmup - Puyo Puyo Tsuu
Best Nintendo shmup - Tetris
Best Sega shmup - Bloxeed
Best Taito shmup - Arkanoid
Best Capcom shmup - Street Fighter II

[Perikles]

Inexplicably felt like digging this one out. Have to mildly enjoy at least one game per developer to mention them here:

ADK: Twinkle Star Sprites
A.I.: BlaZeon
Alfa System: Violent Soldier
Allumer: SD Gundam Neo Battling
Aprinet: Eliminate Down
Asmik: Verytex
Athena: BioMetal
Big West: Choujikuu Yousai Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie
Capcom: Varth
Compile: Zanac
Coreland: Rafflesia
Data East: Vapor Trail MD
Data West: Rayxanber II
Dooyong: The Last Day
East Technology: Ryu Jin
FACE: Nostradamus
Flight Plan: Metamor Jupiter
Game Arts: Silpheed
Gamtec: Thunderbolt II
Gazelle: Akuu Gallet
Home Data: Sqoon
Hot-B: Koutetsu Teikoku
Hudson Soft: Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire
Human Entertainment: Bari-Arm
Interbec: Tekkaman Blade
Irem: R-Type II
Jaleco: Game Tengoku
Jorudan: Kidou Soukou Dion
Kaneko: Cyvern
Konami: Gradius II
Laser Soft: Avenger
Masaya: L-Dis
Micronics: Acrobat Mission SFC
Namco: Dragon Saber
Natsume: Kiki Kaikai: Nazo no Kuro Manto
Naxat: Psycho Chaser
NEC Avenue: Down Load
Nichibutsu: Formation Armed F
NMK: Valtric, Choujikuu Yousai Macross II for a more traditional choice
Psikyo: Sengoku Blade
Rainbow Arts GmbH: Rendering Ranger R²
Raizing: Mahou Daisakusen, I suppose
Sammy Corporation: Viewpoint
Saurus: Chotetsu Brikin'ger
Sega: Crying
Seibu Kaihatsu: Viper Phase 1, New Version
Seta: Ultra Keibitai
SNK: Sky Adventure
Sofel: Flying Hero
Software Creations: Silver Surfer
Square: Einhänder
Sting: Override
Success: Cotton PCE
Taito: Grid Seeker
Technosoft: Thunder Force IV
T&E Soft: Undeadline MD
Tecmo: Star Force
Telenet: Gaiares
Toaplan: Dogyuun/V-V
Toyo Recording Co.: Twinkle Tale
Treasure: Gradius V
Treco: Task Force Harrier EX (I believe the port was handled by them; much prefer it over the NMK arcade original)
UPL: Omega Fighter, Acrobat Mission as guilty pleasure
Vic Tokai: Battle Mania Daiginjou
Victor Interactive: Keio Yuugekitai
Video System: Rabio Lepus
Visco: Vasara
Wolf Team: Granada
Warashi: Shienryu

[BIL]

Micronics: Acrobat Mission SFC

[Stevens]

Hey P - Why Thunder Force IV over Hyper Duel?

Granted I haven't played one since I was in high school and the other I just found last night, but curious to hear your thoughts.

[Perikles]

Hey P - Why Thunder Force IV over Hyper Duel?

Outside of the lopsided scoring in Hyper Duel (which heavily favours an ideal performance in stage 5; granted, there must be other secrets since the WR scores are much higher than what we have around here, if it has to do with sitting still to gain points, however, that'd be even worse), this mainly comes down to personal inclination.

TFIV is a traditional horizontal in the best possible sense - the weapons are designed around the enemies (and/or vice versa) and the stages, strategic knowledge is as much a factor as is instinctive dodging. I'm not a fan of TFII and III since they try to convey the impression that they're all about fluent, uninterrupted action when in reality, they throw one death trap and comical contraption after the other your way. Once you know where all the flame pilars, falling rocks, missile salvoes, closing doors etc. are located, it's no hassle, but I abhor the contrast between this sort of trickery and the intended style the game is going for. TFIV - albeit harder than its predecessors - on the other hand operates on a much more sensible basis and adequately communicates its threats in advance (with the possible exception of the Gargoyle Diver boss which should be your first target, anyway) - all of its challenges and obstacles are deeply rooted into the fundamental basis of the game, while at the same time constantly keeping the player engaged by dint of incentivizing to switch between weapons, the speed of the ship and, later on, the charge shot. It's a spotless summation of quintessential virtues in a horizontal shooter with a blissful presentation. If I had to pick one favourite icon of veneration for this game, it'd be the worm in stage 8 - if you wait for it to open, thus charging your weapon, you'll incinerate it with wroth justice, whereupon the hapless creatures writhes in agony before it falls into pieces. Cathartic heavenly violence, that is.

Hyper Duel falls more in line with what I like to call "vertical in disguise". There is no interaction with terrain and the transformation between the fighter and mech is not nearly as strict or systematical as the weaponry in TFIV is. As a result, the game feels much more loose and immediate, more temperamental than calculatory. Stages are not as distinct in their enemy placement and design, you could easily swap one enemy wave here with another one there, add a few more foes or cut them. That's not a bad thing, mind you, I just generally prefer more structure in my horizontals. While the distinction between the fighter and the mech is without a doubt felicitous, it's more of an executive question since the latter's biggest disadvantage (its bulk and subsequent clumsiness) concerns a different portfolio compared to the weapons in TFIV (where your ship obviously remains the same at all time). If you can handle a given constellation with the mech, there's almost never a reason not to play as it, also underlining the improvisational, situational nature of the game.

As such, I prefer the organized classicism of TFIV over the energetic modernism of Hyper Duel. In fact, I also prefer Elemental Master over Hyper Duel for very much the same reason, that game ventures a tiny bit into the "horizontal in disguise" territory, even!

[Stevens]

Thanks for the write up sir. You have convinced me to give TF IV a go for the first time in decades.

[EmperorIng]

This topic is a laugh and a half.

Taito: Grid Seeker

Not to drag more text out of you, but this is a surprise! While I know you clearly like Varth (and this one is kind of like rip-off Varth), I am nonetheless impressed that you would put Grid Seeker over such venerable games like Darius Gaiden, G-Darius, or RayForce?

[colour_thief]

Missing Qute!!

Tough call but I’d say Judgement Silversword.

[Perikles]

Not to drag more text out of you, but this is a surprise! While I know you clearly like Varth (and this one is kind of like rip-off Varth), I am nonetheless impressed that you would put Grid Seeker over such venerable games like Darius Gaiden, G-Darius, or RayForce?

I've yet to spend some actual time to properly assess G-Darius, I'm aware it is a great game (I have watched a few runs over the years, it is a sight to behold expert players keeping Great Thing at bay - you know you got an excellent game if watching prolongated boss milking seems exhilarating). Darius Gaiden on the other hand is just messy to be quite honest. Outside of the transcendent atmosphere and a few bombastic boss fights, there is little substance to the game as far as I'm concerned, the level design is just so bland. Rayforce is a game that leaves me indifferent despite the fact that I can acknowledge all of its strengths, doesn't do anything for me, might be the music. Raystorm on the other hand I really like even though (or because, mayhap) it is so unfathomably brutal - the game gives you such a spectacle, too, what with all the mechs ferociously spraying their machine guns around and gigantic laser beams everywhere. It will murder you countless times, but it murders with style.

Grid Seeker is an all-around imperturable little game with a neat iremesque pod that is finely interwoven with the skein of stages and enemies, I also happen to love the music and visuals. It very much feels like a tough console game which is admittedly not the most objective reason to appreciate a game so much, I'll not deny it. I can respect a game that sticks to one core idea and executes it well even if it is a bit uneven.

[BurlyHeart]

Reading Konami, I was curious why has you had chosen Gradius II over V... then I seen Treasure listed

[Perikles]

I much prefer every main entry in the Gradius series (as well as most ports and side games) over V in any case, though. Just haven't played any of the other Treasure games is all.

[chum]

ABA Games: Parsec47
Capcom: Gun.smoke
Cave: Guwange
Compile: Zanac
Irem: X-Multiply
Jaleco: Plus Alpha
Konami: Sexy Parodius
Namco: Dangerous Seed
NMK: Thunder Dragon 2
Psikyo: Dragon Blaze
Qute: Judgement Silversword
Raizing: Armed Police Batrider
Seibu Kaihatsu: Raiden DX
Taito: RayForce
Technosoft: Elemental Master
Tecmo: Gemini Wing
Toaplan: Batsugun Special
Treasure: Ikaruga
x.x.: Eden's Aegis
ZUN: Double Spoiler

there's some...

[Koa Zo]

Inexplicably felt like digging this one out. Have to mildly enjoy at least one game per developer to mention them here:
(...)
FACE: Nostradamus

Thank you. I was skimming the thread hoping to see something unexpected and unknown.
Some nice discussion of Hyper Duel and THIV, then I see FACE, who mentions them? ever?
and dang that game looks cool. I'm loving the music.

[nesrulz]

The best game by Cave is DoDonPachi DaiOuJou.

[kaizo shiro]

bruh. qute should be ESCHATOS or natsuki chronicles (if managed to be released and better than the latter)
also kindahard to point any tri service games
taito should be raystorm
tanoshimasu is aka to blue

[geosnow]

Cave: DDP DOJ
Kaneko: Super Star Solider
Toaplan: Outzone
Takumi: Mars Matrix
Razing: Battle Garegga
Konami: Parodius
Irem: R-Type
Complie: Musha
Psikyo: Dragon Blaze, but too hard for me
Success: Cotton
Hudson: Soldier Blade
Technosoft: Hyper Duel

[DialKnight]

Hal Labratories : Uchuu Keibitai SDF

[FabulousVioletGuy]

@Perikles:
Some of the game developers that you listed are incorrect. I've put the right ones after the arrows:

Asmik: Verytex -> Opera House w/ ISCO
Big West: Choujikuu Yousai Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie -> Winkysoft (Big West is who owns the Macross IP)
Hudson Soft: Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire -> CAProduction
Masaya: L-Dis -> Dual Co.
Naxat: Psycho Chaser -> Sting
NEC Avenue: Down Load -> Alfa System
Sammy Corporation: Viewpoint -> Aicom
SNK: Sky Adventure -> Alpha Denshi
Sofel: Flying Hero -> Sting
Toyo Recording Co.: Twinkle Tale -> Zap