Best New Shooter Release of 2005

[CIT]

Well, the year draws to an end, and there are no more shooter releases scheduled for 05, so lets take a look back and see what releases we got this year:

(list does not include rereleases of a game on the same system)

(no claim for completeness, please say so if something is missing, I think the PC section would most likely missing something)

Arcade:

- Espgaluda II
- Homura
- Ibara
- Radilgy
- Raiden III
- Senko No Ronde
- Under Defeat

PC:

- DoveZ: The Second Wave
- Drakojan Skies
- Gunroar
- Hitogata Happa
- Katakis 2
- Mikagura
- Phantasmagoria of Flower View
- Shoot the Bullet
- Z-Lock
- Zen Ichi (completed)

Sega Dreamcast:

- Trizeal

Nintendo DS:

- Nanostray

Nintendo GameCube:

- Chaos Field Expanded

PlayStation 2:

- Giga Wing Generations
- Homura
- Mushihimesama
- Oretachi Gesen-zoku: Moon Cresta
- Oretachi Gesen-zoku: Scramble
- Oretachi Gesen-zoku: Sonic Wings
- Oretachi Gesen-zoku: Terra Cresta
- Oretachi Gesen-zoku: Time Pilot
- Psikyo Shooting Collection Vol. 3: Sol Divide & Dragon Blaze
- Raiden III
- Taito Memories Gekan
- Taito Memories Joukan
- Twinkle Star Sprites: La Petite Princesse

PSP:

- Sengoku Cannon
- Star Soldier

__________________________________________________


Personally, the best new release for me this year was Grev's Under Defeat. In fact I believe it is the first 3D vert shooter to successfully pull off a fully interactive environment successfully. (As opposed to other excellent 3D verts like GW2 or Ikaruga that just have 3D spooling in the background). The game also managed to bring back for me the simple joy of blowing shit up, and the kind of "deep" technical gameplay (pod/subweapon control) that had reached its peak in the mid 90s (Pulstar, Einhander, R-Type D).

I was somewhat disappointed with Cave this year, as they simply rehashed old themes twice in a row. Not that Espgaluda and Raizing shooters are bad things to build upon, but I always felt the exciting thing about Cave was that they would always amaze with new ideas and styles with every game (from ESPrade to Mushihimesama). I think they've already announced that they're planning Mushihime II - pretty sad, if this is really the direction they are going in the long run.

Outside of the arcades the best fun was to be had with Phantasmagoria IMO. I'm sure the PC will become preferred shmupping platform for many more people in 06, as more and more Doujin games' gameplay outclasses anything to be had at the arcades.
PS2 got some killer ports this years, with Mushihime and Dragon Blaze being the best IMO (despite certain resolution issues). DC and Cube were basically dead, and handheld shmupping has still to gain much respect, although I think Nanostray and Star Soldier were steps in the right direction.

Now I'm already looking forward to February and Radilgy and Ibara.

Please feel free to post your thoughts on 2005 the year in shooters.

[GaijinPunch]

I was somewhat disappointed with Cave this year, as they simply rehashed old themes twice in a row.

I don't think you can call Ibara a rehash. It's their first time to do anything like that. If X-Nauts did it, then maybe. ESPGaluda II you definitely can't call a rehash -- it's a sequel. They did what all creators of sequels do. Take the already established system and built on it.

Wouldn't Under Defeat fall under the rehash category, as employing the "joy of blowing shit up" -- perhaps the oldest element in shooter history. I guess that claim could be made to just about every shooter though.

Anyways, ESPGaluda II gets my vote... I think the rest of the list is relatively unimpressive.

[Plasmo]

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
btw hi!

[Valgar]

I FUCKING BARA

[shariar07]

I'll bet my ass on Espagualda 2, then followed by IBARA and Under Defeat.

I don't know about Shiki 3, Merry Christmas and Happy Breast Year

[Rob]

Happy Breast Year

Indeed!

[Turrican]

Hmm, a tough call indeed... between Scramble and Time Pilot.

Seriously, I've yet to play the others ^^; Been quite late with the contemporary shmup scene

[CIT]

I don't think you can call Ibara a rehash. It's their first time to do anything like that. If X-Nauts did it, then maybe.

It's not the first time Shinobu Yagawa has made a game like that, you know that. Not that there is anything wrong with making a game in the Raizing tradition, but Ibara is essentially trying to be Garegga all over again, except it does nothing particularly better than the original.

ESPGaluda II you definitely can't call a rehash -- it's a sequel. They did what all creators of sequels do. Take the already established system and built on it.

Okay, I admit, I was purposely being a bit harsh to give this thread a kick start.

Wouldn't Under Defeat fall under the rehash category, as employing the "joy of blowing shit up" -- perhaps the oldest element in shooter history. I guess that claim could be made to just about every shooter though.

No, as evidenced by the fact there are shooting games that can be played without ever even shooting (e.g. Ikaruga). In many shooting games now shooting is just a means to an end and the real focus lies with other gameplay mechanics (not that this is necessarily bad of course), however in UD the sole focus lies with destroying the enemy, and finding the fastest, most effective and highest scroing way to do so. The game has zero bonus items, no chaining system and no way to deal with bullets other than dodging them, and hearing this many shmuppers would probably already loose interest in the game. But in this case less is absolutely more. To me it is the most interesting, unique and well executed game released this year. Only Phantasmagoria of Flower View could possibly give it a run for its money.

[Icarus]

It's not the first time Shinobu Yagawa has made a game like that, you know that. Not that there is anything wrong with making a game in the Raizing tradition, but Ibara is essentially trying to be Garegga all over again, except it does nothing particularly better than the original.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[CIT]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

If it ain't broke, why get a replacement?

[Icarus]

If it ain't broke, why get a replacement?

If it ain't broke, and it doesn't need fixing, then it's more of the same. And it's very welcome (to me, at least). Been a long time since anything Raizing-like has made an appearance.

Under Defeat looks great, and I'd love a port to DC/PS2/whatever. But if the system relies on speedkills only, then where's the depth? Once you've worked out the optimal routes and have got them somewhat perfected, what's left? Ibara has eight different ships, a multitude of different scoring options, and an infinitely variable rank system that makes every game a challenge.

Simplicity is great and all, and it makes a shmup focused, which is usually a great idea. But give me variety any day of the week.

[CIT]

Under Defeat looks great, and I'd love a port to DC/PS2/whatever. But if the system relies on speedkills only, then where's the depth? Once you've worked out the optimal routes and have got them somewhat perfected, what's left? Ibara has eight different ships, a multitude of different scoring options, and an infinitely variable rank system that makes every game a challenge.

As for the longevity of Under Defeat, of course I can't say. You may very well have a valid point. However, the game is a little more varied than you may think. You have three different option that are all used differently for scoring and all require different timing, giving you a number of different possibilities to approach each level. There is no single "correct" way, that needs to be repeated each time to the same effect.

And Ibara has eight ships? How can you play the other six?

[BulletMagnet]

And Ibara has eight ships? How can you play the other six?

It's also like Garegga also in the way that you can adjust each ship's stats and such by selecting it with a different button(s), IIRC, though in this case I think it goes so far as to change the shot pattern, and I forget what else.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

That's the same argument that makes all the anti-Cave types around here roll their eyes.

[dai jou bu]

Will Shoot the Bullet count for this year?

[GaijinPunch]

If it ain't broke, and it doesn't need fixing, then it's more of the same. And it's very welcome (to me, at least). Been a long time since anything Raizing-like has made an appearance.

I'm the president of this fan club. Some of the best game franchises go down the tubes b/c in the name of something new, the producers fuck it up. If UD is as plain as you say it is, 7Force, I'll probably look forward to it. No GD-Rom unit, or the money to burn on it now, so I must wait for a port, or a trip to Japan.

[sameluckraida]

For PC, I hereby nominate Drakojan Skies.
http://www.wimp.com/drakojan

[CIT]

Will Shoot the Bullet count for this year?

Hmm, I guess so, since it will be released at Comiket (Dec 29/30).

[Dylan1CC]

There are 8 ships in Ibara, excellent. I cannot wait to play this game. Raizing really is alive thanks to Wakabayashi-san.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I would also like to second this statement.

[neorichieb1971]

Gradius 5?

[Dylan1CC]

Gradius 5?

2004, man. But close enough.

[neorichieb1971]

Yeah, someone said the Tsunami disaster was a year ago.. seems like 3 months ago to me.

[Dandy J]

I thought Z-Lock was the best PC shmup this year, at least on par with Gunroar. Hitogata Happa held a lot of promise, but in the end I didn't like it very much.

http://homepage2.nifty.com/isshiki/prog_win_d.html