list of system exclusive shmups?

[GrantWindsor]

Strike gunner STG (DONT PLAY THIS)

In all fairness, I can't think of ANY other 2 player shmup on the SNES, that - under certain conditions - ought to count for a lot.

Pop'n Twinbee, which trumps Strike Gunner.

[trap15]

S.T.G. was originally an arcade game, so that doesn't even count

[dingsbums]

(NOT Ai-Choaniki)

On what other system was Ai Choaniki released?

On what other system was Ai Choaniki released?

Japanese Wii VC. The US only got the original.

With (NOT Ai Choaniki) I didn't want to say it isn't an exclusive anymore - I wanted to say get the first Choaniki for the PCE because Ai Choaniki sucks .

- Magical Chase was ported from PC Engine to GameBoy Color.

- Override was ported from X68000 to PC Engine, and it was ported to JP Wii Virtual Console.

- Though Super Darius II was altered, it's still based off Darius II, and it was ported to JP Wii Virtual Console.

A list like this would only be interesting if you exclude ports completely (including digital) and focus specifically on games you can play only if you have the original software and system, ignoring the existence of software piracy and emulators.

Override came out on PC-Engine a year before Last Battalion (X68K version) was released. Sting chose to remake the game as their first self-published release (PCE original was published by Data East)

Magical Chase was also ported to Windows 98, and it contains all the graphical updates there were in the USA HuCard version.

I seriously didn't know Override was ported as Last Battalion to the X68000 so I remove that from the list.

I know of the GBC / PC ports of Magical Chase. The Game Boy version is impressive for a handheld version but it doesn't really come close to the PCE version.
The PC version is even more rare / harder to get + as far as I know it requires a Japanese PC that is able to run the Japanese version of Windows 95 /98 => I'm sure you can get one at every street corner in Akihabara but in Europe/US not so much . So one port is technical inferiour and the other one is so obscure / hard to get it running that most gamers more than likely never will see this version.

I don't really count digital releases because when you do that nothing is really an exclusive anymore (Emulation anyone )

[BIL]

It'd also be interesting if someone can point out the best versions of shmups originating on consoles. For example: Super SWIV originated on SNES, but was later released for Mega Drive as well. So, which one is the best version?

Cue Thunder Force V bloodbath. ^__^ I prefer the original SS version. A bit of slowdown but nothing that feels inappropriate, and the graphical effects absent on PS1 do a lot to help the game's weak visuals.

Thunder Force III is better in its original MD format over the Saturn's Gold Pack 1 version. The latter plays accurately, but uses redbook audio which loops songs wholesale, creating some strange soundtrack moments and spoiling a big part of the game's appeal.

TFIV (Gold Pack 2) is more debatable. No BGM issues and it eliminates the MD version's sometimes overly heavy slowdown. Running at a solid 60fps it looks almost MD+, rivalling Hyper Duel's Saturn mode. Also adds an exclusive guest ship, TFIII's Styx. SFX are weak but they're not particularly great on MD either. I own and love both versions but would probably keep the SS one if forced to choose.

[GrantWindsor]

I don't really count digital releases because when you do that nothing is really an exclusive anymore (Emulation anyone )

Barring emulation, some shmups might just become lost to time, as there have been no digital releases, for whatever reason. It's amazing to me that, while we've seen Telenet releases on VC, Gaiares hasn't shown up. Then again, Thunder Force III has also been MIA, among others.

[TransatlanticFoe]

By "system-exclusive", do you mean "only available on one, solitary hardware format"?

Because I though this was about shmups originating on consoles, never seeing an arcade release.

Basically, this is what I meant.

It'd also be interesting if someone can point out the best versions of shmups originating on consoles. For example: Super SWIV originated on SNES, but was later released for Mega Drive as well. So, which one is the best version?

I'd like to see more comparisons like this. It'd help me a bunch.

Whilst Mega SWIV has an extra level, it's not a particularly interesting one (everything is grey!), the boss is really lame and doesn't even have its own soundtrack - they just use the stage 1 music from the SNES version and then shift everything forward one until stage 5, which gets the stage 1 music again. It's all a bit strange. And there's the usual minor graphical downgrades. The music is also inferior, often jarringly so - very poor considering it's the same system that produced the awesomeness of the Thunder Force IV soundtrack.

[professor ganson]

TFIV (Gold Pack 2) is more debatable. No BGM issues and it eliminates the MD version's sometimes overly heavy slowdown. Running at a solid 60fps it looks almost MD+, rivalling Hyper Duel's Saturn mode. Also adds an exclusive guest ship, TFIII's Styx. SFX are weak but they're not particularly great on MD either. I own and love both versions but would probably keep the SS one if forced to choose.

My copy of Gold Pack 2 just arrived in the mail two mins. ago. Can't wait to check it out! What do you think of the arcade game that got packaged on there, BIL?

Hyper Duel's Saturn mode My goal before year's end is to find a copy and play that.

[BIL]

I was playing the hell out of Thunder Force AC on Gold Pack 2 this time last year, link to detailed impressions that I've since forgotten slightly. Suffice to say, TFAC's great. Not as exciting as an original TF arcade game would've been, but it genuinely improves on an already excellent shooter. The port is superb, and also adds the native autofire sorely missing from the PCB.

I still think TFGP2 is the single best Tecno Soft release to own, easily competing with Hyper Duel SS (and significantly cheaper).

[professor ganson]

I was playing the hell out of Thunder Force AC on Gold Pack 2 this time last year, link to detailed impressions that I've since forgotten slightly. Suffice to say, TFAC's great. Not as exciting as an original TF arcade game would've been, but it genuinely improves on an already excellent shooter. The port is superb, and also adds the native autofire sorely missing from the PCB.

I still think TFGP2 is the single best Tecno Soft release to own, easily competing with Hyper Duel SS (and significantly cheaper).

Concise, informative, and authoritative. Why BIL's posts are consistently the best.

[BIL]

Haha, thanks. Just accruing good karma for a future lolcat extravaganza.

[Synnae]

To make things easier, I think it'd be cool if someone modify the Xenocide files and add an "*" or an "(Ex)" next to the name of the games that are exclusive to their respective systems.

[Captain]

Strike gunner STG (DONT PLAY THIS)

In all fairness, I can't think of ANY other 2 player shmup on the SNES, that - under certain conditions - ought to count for a lot. As the others said, there was a coin-op version too (just as... bare bones of a game, considering its time and age).

Two player mode is no excuse for a port that just plain sucks.

[Guardians Knight]

A couple of amiga favourites i believe didn't get ported anywhere else:

Banshee (probably the best amiga shmup imho)
Disposable Hero
Star Dust/Super star dust (this got a pc port later)
Project X

There are tonnes of amiga only shmups but these are the ones that for me are top of the tree, feel free to disagree....