Hardest. Shooters. Ever.

[Xexyz]

Anyone mention Air Buster/Aero Blasters for the Genesis/TG-16 yet? Now there's an old school shmup that's not a "cakewalk"! Not only do you have to memorize enemy patterns and the crashable terrain in some levels (R-Type style), but you also have to have very good twitch reflexes when dodging enemy fire! A damn hard horizontal shmup. Very well made, but I doubt I'll ever 1CC it.

[dai jou bu]

No game is hard (okay, I lied- the Arcade version of Gradius III is unfair, but that's one of the exceptions to the rule). For me, the difficulty of the shmup is based on the amount of time I'm willing to learn and master the game.

For example, I tend to favor shmups with claustrophobic level designs like R-Type or shmups with interesting game mechanics, like Zero Gunner 2's turn marker and lack of bullet-clearing bombs or Mars Matrix's piercing cannon/Mosquito reflect attacks. So regardless of how many times I do die, I'll keep repeating those sections over and over again until I can successfully survive that particular scenario because I'm more than willing to figure out how to finish that part of the game without dying.

So the hardest shmups for me to play are just straight-out danmaku (maniac) like Touhou (except PoFV, since you're not the only one suffering) or almost anything Cave because I'm not fond of playing them.

[AOTD3025]

Well, I've got one: Zone66 (PC). Has anybody ever survived for more than five minutes when the difficulty (meaning enemy pilot performance) is set at "fair", or what's supposed to be the middle setting?

I'd also have to say Zanac (NES) is pretty difficult. Either that, or I'm really horrid at these . . .

-AOTD3025

[Neo Rasa]

Anyone mention Air Buster/Aero Blasters for the Genesis/TG-16 yet? Now there's an old school shmup that's not a "cakewalk"! Not only do you have to memorize enemy patterns and the crashable terrain in some levels (R-Type style), but you also have to have very good twitch reflexes when dodging enemy fire! A damn hard horizontal shmup. Very well made, but I doubt I'll ever 1CC it.

That game is great.

Man I remember it had that power-up that put armor buffer things on the front of your ship so flying into angled walls would push you away from them instead of killing you. The game moved so fast that there are parts where I don't think you could get through the level without that unless you have it memorized down to the pixel.

[WarCheese]

Hello fellow shmuppers:

On the topic of absolute hardest shmups, I think we should first separate those that are possible and those that are just unfair. I find that some of the earlier shmups are hard, because unfair. Manic shmups are hard, but they are fair with practice. For example, I have 1-life-finish Abadox. As any of you who has played the game will agree, you either finish the game with one life or not at all...

The hardest fair shmup I have played would be DDP:DOJ. I am still struggling to clear level 3...

Cheers.

WarCheese

[Thinimus]

Image Fight is the hardest I have ever played.

(Getting nothing but as many yellow chains as possible in RSG and one lifing it is probably the hardest thing I know of. I makes Ikaruga with no chain breaks on hard mode look easy. )

I beat GIII on the PS2 in normal mode with no slowdown once. I continued about twenty times, but beat it nevertheless.

And I will never be able to do it again.

[MSZ]

I beat GIII on the PS2 in normal mode with no slowdown once. I continued about twenty times, but beat it nevertheless.

And I will never be able to do it again.

You mean stage select? There is no continue in the game at all.

[SAM]

I beat GIII on the PS2 in normal mode with no slowdown once. I continued about twenty times, but beat it nevertheless.

And I will never be able to do it again.

You mean stage select? There is no continue in the game at all.

No, I think he means WAIT = OFF.

[captain ahar]

just got radiant silvergun and it is schooling my ass hard. maybe when i stop fumbling with the weapon controls and sort of "figure things out," it won't be such a beast. *shrugs*

anyway great fun though. i'm happy i bought it... even though batsugun is better (couldn't help it, sorry)

[SAM]

just got radiant silvergun and it is schooling my ass hard. maybe when i stop fumbling with the weapon controls and sort of "figure things out," it won't be such a beast. *shrugs*

This game is evil, you are forced to score well by continuesly chaining. Since your weapon powerups according to the your scores...

My Friend Alan Kwan, did a detailed FAQ which got Scoreing strategy for the first few stages. I think you could take some ideas from him.

http://home.netvigator.com/~tarot/Games/SlvrGn0.html

Alan Kwan is a fan of Treasure's Shmups, I would wear my Ikaruga T-Shirt when I visit him at his store next time.

BYW, I bought my Saturn purely because I won Radiant Silvergun an acution. Won at $120 Shipped... but I end ups spending thousands on others Saturns shmups....

anyway great fun though. i'm happy i bought it... even though batsugun is better (couldn't help it, sorry)

I like Batsugun more too, I like Cave/Toaplan stuff more too.

If you could play PCBs, those Toaplan made old shmups are highly recommended. Most of them cost around $40 to $56 now, much cheaper than an average PS2 game.

[CIT]

If you could play PCBs, those Toaplan made old shmups are highly recommended. Most of them cost around $40 to $56 now, much cheaper than an average PS2 game.

Speaking of which, Tatsujin-Oh has got be a contender for most difficult shooter ever. That game is just utter destruction.

[SAM]

If you could play PCBs, those Toaplan made old shmups are highly recommended. Most of them cost around $40 to $56 now, much cheaper than an average PS2 game.

Speaking of which, Tatsujin-Oh has got be a contender for most difficult shooter ever. That game is just utter destruction.

Well, Tatsujin is harder IMO.

BTW, the Tatsujin-Oh PCB is among one of those costy Toaplan titles, last time I saw it being sold for $96.

[Neo Rasa]

Heavy Unit and Psycho Chaser (both TG-16 games, heh) for me. I love Psycho Chaser but that game absolutely kicks your ass the minute you're off the ball. Heavy Unit kicks your ass the minute you BLINK. I mean one second into the game these skull snake things that are like four timers longer than your sloooow weak ship are flying around and when you kill them their tails hover in place and become destroyable obstacles.

Then these machinegun turrets spray gunfire across the entire bottom half of the screen and right behind them is this huge crusher thing that rises up and down, and immediately past it (like not even one ship length) are these three giant robotic dragon heads on long necks that breath fire. This all happens in like the first ten seconds of the game. It DOES NOT STOP, EVER, UNTIL YOU ARE DEAD.

[SAM]

Heavy Unit and Psycho Chaser (both TG-16 games, heh) for me. I love Psycho Chaser but that game absolutely kicks your ass the minute you're off the ball. Heavy Unit kicks your ass the minute you BLINK. I mean one second into the game these skull snake things that are like four timers longer than your sloooow weak ship are flying around and when you kill them their tails hover in place and become destroyable obstacles.

Sound like the Stage 5 of R-Type for me.

[Bloodreign]

Does Chuka Taisen qualify as a shmup? Or a borderline? Cute Em Up?

If so that game humbles me faster than I'd like it to. Bullets move pretty fast, and always seem aimed at you, plus the screen can clutter with enemies, it's hard to avoid everything.

[Ghegs]

Then these machinegun turrets spray gunfire across the entire bottom half of the screen and right behind them is this huge crusher thing that rises up and down, and immediately past it (like not even one ship length) are these three giant robotic dragon heads on long necks that breath fire. This all happens in like the first ten seconds of the game. It DOES NOT STOP, EVER, UNTIL YOU ARE DEAD.

Actually, that's the hardest part of the whole game. After you figure out a decent strategy for getting past the dragon heads it gets much easier. Seriously, I must've practiced the first 20 seconds of the game dozens of times, but once I got past that part, I 1CCed the game in two or three attempts. Got pretty far into the second loop, but my Duo actually froze on me that time.

I think Heavy Unit's reputation as a hard game comes only because of the beginning. But then again, I've only played and cleared the PCE port, and I know the PCB original has some extra stuff to deal with.

[chtimi-CLA]

Actually, that's the hardest part of the whole game.

seriously? i never had a problem with that, but i did with stage 4 (the organic goo droppings), the stage 5 rotating cannons are tough too.
use your 2 buttons alternatively when you're at minimum power, you will fire an almost continuous stream.

[captain ahar]

undeadline x68k. just plain difficult.

[Damocles]

undeadline x68k. just plain difficult.

Difficult but pretty. ...and much more playable than any of the other versions.

[captain ahar]

perhaps, although i've heard that the msx version is the best (i could never get it working to judge for myself). and i haven't played the genesis one either...

edit take that back. unfair unfair unfair. i rest my case.

[DEL]

TGK wrote;

Strike Gunner for SNES (by Athena). When you crank difficulty up to expert, it is practically impossible. I still consider finishing that game on expert with 5 lives (heck, I'll give you 9 lives, and the second player too) the ultimate challenge in shmup.

This one featured at the end of my 1CC list a couple of years back; for some unknown reason I decided to 1CC S.T.G Striker Gunner SFamicom/Athena on "OTAKU" skill level. It took me 2 weeks, but I did it.

Both Loops of Ketsui is hard.

[ROBOTRON]

As I said before..."DEEP BLUE" is the hardest shooter ever...I'd like to see ONE of the experts on this board 1cc that.

[Salem Witch Trials!]

I'VE GOT AN IDEA!!!

Instead of just talking about the hardest shooters ever, let's do something about this shit. I think we should each take one of the games that is the bane of our existence and see if we can 1CC it. The first time I played through Metal Slug 3 it took me 64 credits, and I always thought of it as one of the hardest games I had ever played. So Monday I decided that I would 1CC it. I've always liked finding stuff that I suck at and trying to 1CC it. This is the same thing that inspired me to 1 credit Mars matrix, r-type leo, esp.ra.de and some others, but metal slug 3's the hardest one I've tried yet. Now some of these hard games people have listed are definitely within the realm of possibility. Others, even if they are possible, are just hard because they're badly made and unfair (r-type II, etc.). So if anyone else wants to participate, take some monster of a game and play it until you get it. I figured that in a "hardest shooters ever" thread, rather than just saying "geez these are hard", we should try to go out and conquer some of these bastards

[Fighter17]

I'VE GOT AN IDEA!!!

Instead of just talking about the hardest shooters ever, let's do something about this shit. I think we should each take one of the games that is the bane of our existence and see if we can 1CC it. The first time I played through Metal Slug 3 it took me 64 credits, and I always thought of it as one of the hardest games I had ever played. So Monday I decided that I would 1CC it. I've always liked finding stuff that I suck at and trying to 1CC it. This is the same thing that inspired me to 1 credit Mars matrix, r-type leo, esp.ra.de and some others, but metal slug 3's the hardest one I've tried yet. Now some of these hard games people have listed are definitely within the realm of possibility. Others, even if they are possible, are just hard because they're badly made and unfair (r-type II, etc.). So if anyone else wants to participate, take some monster of a game and play it until you get it. I figured that in a "hardest shooters ever" thread, rather than just saying "geez these are hard", we should try to go out and conquer some of these bastards

Agree, but it doesn't matter how hard I tried, Psikyo games always kicks my ASS!

[Salem Witch Trials!]

That's the point! Ya should try to beat one. I'll paypal ya a dollar....

[Bydobasher]

Others, even if they are possible, are just hard because they're badly made and unfair (r-type II, etc.).

What's unfair about R-Type 2?

[Salem Witch Trials!]

Well in level 4 on the boss you're almost forced to get way to many speedups which then ruin any chance you have of surviving the rest of the game, but maybe I'm just crappy at it. You should try to 1CC it if ya haven't yet. I would give you some major props.

[Klatrymadon]

So if anyone else wants to participate, take some monster of a game and play it until you get it. I figured that in a "hardest shooters ever" thread, rather than just saying "geez these are hard", we should try to go out and conquer some of these bastards

That's pretty much how I approach every shooter. Unlike some of the incredibly snooty people you sometimes see around here (who can, admittedly, be helpful in their reserved holier-than-thou way), I don't have a great deal of natural ability where my favourite genre concerned.

I single-credited ESPGaluda yesterday, after a few weeks of practice. My scores are painfully low at the moment, but this is basically how I like to get started.

[Salem Witch Trials!]

indeed. Your signature is awesome by the way. What's that from?

[Klatrymadon]

Hehe, it's from Consolevania; an online games show. They were interviewing random drunken people in the street in the second episode.