STGs with long stages

[SuperSoaker360]

I was wondering if we could garner a list on STGs with longer stages than the usual fare. I'm not quite sure what I could put as an standard but I suppose a game that goes longer than 20-30 minutes for a full playthrough.

[amdiggywhut]

Zanac Neo comes to mind.

[KAI]

Pinksweets is long thanks to "dat stage 6".

[Special World]

Ginga Force. Being able to take the stages on one at a time means they can be a lot longer than usual. They can also be 500x more awesome than usual, apparently.

[ACSeraph]

Are we talking specifically long stages or just games that are generally long? Only considering one loop?

For generally long games these immediately came to mind along with what was already mentioned:

Gradius V
GleyLancer
1942 (30+ stages wtf!?)
Darius Gaiden Extra (intentionally insane)

There are plenty more I'm sure.

[LordHypnos]

There's a few Toaplan games that I feel are long / have long stages. I think Hellfire, Truxton, and Zero Wing would all fit. probably a few more, too. That being said, I've never made it past the first stage of any of those, so it might be the checkpoint restarting that make them feel long.

[EmperorIng]

Have you ever played any game by Compile?

I think Super Aleste's stage 1 is 25 minutes by itself. Sure feels that way.

[drunkninja24]

Well, there is the Raiden DX training stage which averages about 15 minutes or so in length. Not sure how much it counts though since it's kinda divided up in itself though and the whole portion of the game is that one stage, but hey

[Kiken]

Have you ever played any game by Compile?

Pretty much this.

Compile games... the thread.

[Furry Fox Jet Pilot]

Don't forget Siter Skain's RefleX, that's probably the longest shmup I've ever played. Boss battles take forever, when you are not using the Zodiac Ophiuchus ship.
Also, 1944: The Loop Master and Varth are REALLY long for shmups.

[Blinge]

Stage 4 - the flying fortress stage on Pop 'n' Twinbee.

Christ alive, it's 10 minutes long at least, with large sections of not much happening. =/

[Captain]

I remember Counter Strike has really long stages.

Second only to Need for Speed.

Oh and Contra.

[Eaglet]

Garegga fits the bill pretty well.
A full high scoring playthrough is approx. 45 min.
Stage 5 by itself (bosses included of course, since there are 3 of them) is over 10 min long.

[nasty_wolverine]

Hellsinker. total playthrough takes about 45 mins if you are speedkilling things, but playing for score can lead upwards of 1hr, thats not counting the extra stages.

[Bananamatic]

donpachi feels like 2 hours

[Squire Grooktook]

Some of Crimzon Clovers stages always felt long to me, in a good way.

Most of Cave's stage 5's are pretty long compared to the rest of them.

[Blinge]

Stage 5 by itself (bosses included of course, since there are 3 of them) is over 10 min long.

dat music makes it worth it though

[Eaglet]

dat music makes it worth it though

Everything makes it worth it.

Definitely one of my favorite STG stages.
Perfect pacing; introducing the air carriers with slow scrolling, accelerating to faster scrolling, ending with two at the same time, boss rush with previously known bosses, big ass bomber to bomb (bomb da bomba) for even more score and ending with the most iconic STG boss ever.

[chum]

A couple of Touhou stages are over 20 minutes long

[LordHypnos]

Oh yeah, forgot about Varth. Isn't that literally over 100 stages
Has anyone ever mustered enough endurance to 1cc that?

Does anyone know how many stages Exed Exes is, speaking of Capcom? I think I read a pretty large number at some point.

[Kollision]

Radiant Silvergun
Sturmwind
Wings of Wor stage 2
Blazeon (because you can take a dump and return to the game any time)

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

Blood Money (Amiga). Those stages really used to drag. The superior C64 version tightened the design up considerably.

Oh, and Gradius V.

[Ruldra]

Each stage in Truxton II is about 10 minutes long. Coupled with its difficulty, no wonder it's an unpopular game.

Oh yeah, forgot about Varth. Isn't that literally over 100 stages
Has anyone ever mustered enough endurance to 1cc that?

Hi.

The game is long but each stage is pretty short.

[beatsgo]

Gradius III

...cuz dem slowdowns

[CStarFlare]

Pinksweets is long thanks to "dat stage 6".

Runs on arrange score attack can take a full half hour.

So that's a good one.

[LordHypnos]

Each stage in Truxton II is about 10 minutes long. Coupled with its difficulty, no wonder it's an unpopular game.

Oh yeah, forgot about Varth. Isn't that literally over 100 stages
Has anyone ever mustered enough endurance to 1cc that?

Hi.

The game is long but each stage is pretty short.

Oh, only 30. I wonder where I got the idea that it was over 100. Still looks pretty long, though. Approximately 55 minutes or so
Also, nice work!

[Doctor Butler]

Gradius V and definitley R-type Final

The later stages in Under Defeat and DoDonPachi Res. also seem disproportionatley large.

And Astebreed for PC is over an hour in length.

[To Far Away Times]

I'd be all over Gradius V if it were like 45 minutes long. I'm not learning a 1.5 hour shmup though.

[mastermx]

Do they count if they have story mode?

[SuperDeadite]

1944: The Snooze Master