What's your favorite startup animation in a shmup?

[320x240]

Sorry if this has been done before. By startup I mean the animation at the start of the first level.

My vote goes to the one in Progear. It has always reminded me a bit about Laputa, Castle in the Sky. Lot's of nice detail in the background. Batsugun get's an honorable mention.

[ACSeraph]

Tateha's opening in Espgaluda. Your friend gets brutally murdered and then she reduces the perpetrators to red mist using her psychic powers. I like how it lays out your motivation for blowing shit up right at the start, turning the thing into a sort of psychic fantasy revenge movie.

[Pretas]

Air Gallet. Simple, but very stylish, iconic and well-animated.

[Patashu]

It's not 100% what you're looking for, but the Dimahoo attract mode cutscene.

THE EARTH WAS REALLY HOLLOW!

[Mortificator]

Dragon Spirit:
1. Raise sword.
2. Get struck by lightning.
3. OMG YOU'RE A DRAGON

[KAI]

Dragon Saber:
1. Raise sword.
2. Get struck by lightning.
3. OMG YOU'RE A DRAGONS.

[BIL]

Awesome topic! I <3 Gun Frontier's dynamic blastoff. Coin-operated mini epic.

[AntiFritz]

Espgaluda 1
Ikaruga

[BIL]

Also, R-Type III be hawt too.

[n0rtygames]

Uridium. I'm not saying it's the most beautiful, but it was definitely a thing back then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks5-Zq6XAN4

[Blinge]

Tateha's opening in Espgaluda. Your friend gets brutally murdered and then she reduces the perpetrators to red mist using her psychic powers. I like how it lays out your motivation for blowing shit up right at the start, turning the thing into a sort of psychic fantasy revenge movie.

YO

19XX is pretty cool too..

[Imhotep]

Gun Frontier is my choice, too. That tone excites me every time.

[Axelay]

Also, R-Type III be hawt too.

I was thinking of super r type on the snes . I like the hanger scene and the crane .
But that rtype 3 one is bad ass

[President_Obama]

Does Jackal count?

[mastermx]

Ikaruga is pretty nice, it's quite straightforward.
The intro for Progear I think is pretty cool too with everything burning and people leaping off the building.

[Kollision]

not really start-up, but opening screen?
THUNDER FORCE IV

[MathU]

Also, R-Type III be hawt too.

Good taste friend, have a better GIF.


I always thought Sorcer striker/Mahou Daisakusen had a neat intro too.

[BIL]

Thanks!

[Dave_K.]

Tateha's opening in Espgaluda. Your friend gets brutally murdered and then she reduces the perpetrators to red mist using her psychic powers. I like how it lays out your motivation for blowing shit up right at the start, turning the thing into a sort of psychic fantasy revenge movie.

Inline with this, shooting off Madara's left arm with (with a judicious spray of blood) in stage 2 of Espgaluda II was particularly awesome.

[hismit]

Air Gallet. Simple, but very stylish, iconic and well-animated.

This

[50Hz]

Also got to go with the Espgaluda and R-Type III openings
Whilst not as flashy, I love how Eschatos starts as well ; dropping down from the sky whilst enemy waves are deployed in the distance just as the music kicks in, every start up gives me that "fuck yeah, I'm gunna get those bastards" kind of feeling.

[Drachenherz]

JB 5ths entrance in Esp Ra De. Tableflipping is for wussies, real Esp Transvestites smash them in their powerful entry in the game!

[BIL]

Oh yeah, JB caving in fatty's skull from a storey up definitely got my attention when I was first rediscovering shooters in MAME. Also Guwange's unforgettable opening vignettes. Impossible for me to choose one, they're all beautiful and evil. Probably like Gensuke's best. "What's in the box? Oh FUUU-"

[BulletMagnet]

Style was about the only thing Metal Black had going for it, but it sure had it in spades.

[MrChiggins]

WELCOME TO VIOLENT CITY

Does that count? It gets me every time.

[Squire Grooktook]

Lotta great choices here.

Esp Ra.de
EspGaluda
Metal Black
Dragon Spirit
Guwange
R-Type III (seeing that organ warp in first was my first real taste of Irem's signature bio-horror, especially since it was your ship)

All great. I'd personally add MUSHA as my favorite example of the whole "last starfighter/last man standing" scenario. Strania's close up of your mechs face before shooting into action is also really cool.

[Ed Oscuro]

Terra Cresta, Twin Cobra, OutZone; games like those.

[Aleksei]

That Dragon Saber startup was awesome, "people be turning into dragons".

[Captain]

Ikaruga has those neat intros in every level.

[manatworks]

OMG CYBERSPACE