Is there a name for the subgenre of Defender/Fantasy Zone?

[4ppleseed]

Hi all,
Is there a name for the subgenre of Defender/Fantasy Zone? One where you get to scroll left and right yourself?

Horizontal Scroller seems to me like something that auto scrolls to me.

Also, bonus question: what's your favourite of this type?

Thanks.

[OmegaFlareX]

I would consider these "Multi-Directional Shooters", and would lump them in with others that scroll in 4 or 8 directions (like UPL's Ark Area) as well.

[FRO]

I would consider these "Multi-Directional Shooters", and would lump them in with others that scroll in 4 or 8 directions (like UPL's Ark Area) as well.

So would that encompass stuff like Time Pilot, or arena shooters like Shooter Sanvein as well?

[4ppleseed]

I would consider these "Multi-Directional Shooters", and would lump them in with others that scroll in 4 or 8 directions (like UPL's Ark Area) as well.

Yeah, I can see the similarities with Ark Area. I'd say Fantasy Zone 1/2 still feel pretty unique in their implementation and I'd love to find some others that play that way.

[Kollision]

I normally just call them regular horizontals, but I've seen something like "torus horizontals" somewhere

[Shepardus]

Defender-likes

[FRO]

Defender-likes

I was thinking along those lines, since Defender originated that style, but it seems like the whole "<game title>-like" nomenclature has become a trope at this point. It's just not as descriptive or distinctive a moniker as it could be.

[Sumez]

It's a fine term. But it pretty much means that a genre name hasn't been defined. People used to call all FPS games "doom clones" until it became clear that we'd eventually end up with more than a few of those.

[Oniros]

Also, bonus question: what's your favourite of this type?

I like Fantasy Zone the best but Resogun was pretty good too.

[Stevens]

I normally just call them regular horizontals, but I've seen something like "torus horizontals" somewhere

Never knew what that was till a quick Google search, but this makes the most sense.

[Mortificator]

Defender-likes

I was thinking along those lines, since Defender originated that style, but it seems like the whole "<game title>-like" nomenclature has become a trope at this point. It's just not as descriptive or distinctive a moniker as it could be.

It's the best way to describe games. Just know how Defender plays and you know how the genre plays.

Little phrases as genre descriptors will never be accurate. Star Wars arcade and The House of the Dead aren't classified as first-person shooters, despite their entire gameplay consisting entirely of first-person shooting.

[FRO]

Defender-likes

I was thinking along those lines, since Defender originated that style, but it seems like the whole "<game title>-like" nomenclature has become a trope at this point. It's just not as descriptive or distinctive a moniker as it could be.

It's the best way to describe games. Just know how Defender plays and you know how the genre plays.

Little phrases as genre descriptors will never be accurate. Star Wars arcade and The House of the Dead aren't classified as first-person shooters, despite their entire gameplay consisting entirely of first-person shooting.

I know what you mean. And stuff like SW Arcade and House of the Dead are games I would consider to be on-rail shooters, because you move through a level on a pre-determined path, regardless of the perspective, whether or not you have any range of motion within that context. But now we're getting into semantics

[Special World]

I also think Fantasy Zone is the best in this genre... it's just so chunky and quirky and perfect, and there really aren't many games like this. Probably why it doesn't have a name other than Defender-like.

Defender though is also a hell of a game if you go back and play it. There are a lot of older games that I'm like "well that's a bit shit" but Defender is like "holy fuuuuuuuu---" It's a game that I think will never stop being impressive. It's just brutal and immediate and fun.

[LordHypnos]

I feel like I have seen quite a few (mostly indie western-developed) defender-likes over time, but the only one that I really ever played was Fantasy Zone II DX. That one is great though.

[Sumez]

Defender though is also a hell of a game if you go back and play it. There are a lot of older games that I'm like "well that's a bit shit" but Defender is like "holy fuuuuuuuu---" It's a game that I think will never stop being impressive. It's just brutal and immediate and fun.

I'm not a big fan of Defender, and the way it plays separates it from pretty much any other shmup, including Fantasy Zone, but I can totally see what you mean. The presentation is incredible, with perfect use of the minimalistic graphics and booming sound. There's not much else like it, for better or worse.

[FRO]

Defender though is also a hell of a game if you go back and play it. There are a lot of older games that I'm like "well that's a bit shit" but Defender is like "holy fuuuuuuuu---" It's a game that I think will never stop being impressive. It's just brutal and immediate and fun.

I'm not a big fan of Defender, and the way it plays separates it from pretty much any other shmup, including Fantasy Zone, but I can totally see what you mean. The presentation is incredible, with perfect use of the minimalistic graphics and booming sound. There's not much else like it, for better or worse.

I always appreciated how Chopper Command on the 2600 was similar to Defender, but still kinda did its own thing, as much as the limitations of the 2600 allowed for that, anyway.

EDIT: I'm watching the Classic Gaming Quarterly episode on the launch of the Master System, and Chris refers to Fantasy Zone as a "free scrolling" game. That seems like a pretty good descriptor to me.

[BrianC]

EDIT: I'm watching the Classic Gaming Quarterly episode on the launch of the Master System, and Chris refers to Fantasy Zone as a "free scrolling" game. That seems like a pretty good descriptor to me.

Not a bad one, but I usually think of games like Time Pilot or the overhead levels of Thunder Force II as "free scrolling".

[Koa Zo]

We should all decide here and now. torus-horis. That's it.

[Roodwurm]

EDIT: I'm watching the Classic Gaming Quarterly episode on the launch of the Master System, and Chris refers to Fantasy Zone as a "free scrolling" game. That seems like a pretty good descriptor to me.

Not a bad one, but I usually think of games like Time Pilot or the overhead levels of Thunder Force II as "free scrolling".

Bosconian falls in this category as well.

[Sumez]

I'd say Time Pilot is a little unique because you never really scroll "anywhere", while something like Bosconian has a map. Time Pilot is less about where you are going, and more about your immediate vicinity. More like... Asteroids, I guess?

[Jeneki]

I vote "Donut Shooters", because the world loops left/right. Resogun is literally shaped this way.

Edit: I suppose torus would work as well, but I'm hungry so donut it is.

[Sumez]

I'm pretty sure that was the idea of the aforementioned torus-hori... but I guess "donut shooter" is like the pedestrian version of that