Drawing a timeline of shmups history ?

[Xyga]

Hey, if I wanted to draw a timeline of the history of shmups, what would you suggest for coherence and clarity ?

I'd plan on doing the following maybe;
- Mostly major/landmark/famous titles (can't write them all of course).
- Two parallel lines: one with only the original year of release, one for the ports release dates ? Or just one for the arcades and the other for everything else ?
- 'Eras' more or less distinguished by a specific year or game, or console generation (or all three at once?)

Here's a very early, rough draft list below with some titles, more or less sorted by year and vague eras. No attempt at a double-timeline arrangement yet.
I have no precice-enough idea, so don't scream at the lack of Amiga or whatever, questionable picks, errors etc, I will take my time to perfect it.
All suggestions/critics welcome! Thanks

Birth
1962 - Spacewar!

Golden Age
1978 - Space Invaders
1982 - Xevious
1984 - 1942 Midway

Awakening (/8bit)
1985 - Gradius/Nemesis, Tiger Heli, Terra Cresta, Space Harrier
1986 - Darius, Salamander, Fantasy Zone, Side Arms, Zanac
1987 - R-Type, Twin Cobra/Kyukyoku Tiger, Terra Force, Rabio Lepus, 1943 Kai, Ajax, Dragon Spirit, Flying Shark
1988 - Gradius II/Vulcan Venture, Image Fight, Truxton, Assault, Dragon Spirit, Fighting Hawk, Galaxy Force II, Phelios, Thunder Cross, Thunder Force II x68k
1989 - R-Type II, Darius II, Gradius III, Gunhed, Dangerous Seed, Omega Fighter, Plus Alpha, Zero Wing

Boom (/16bit)
1990 - Thunder Force III, MUSHA, Super Star Soldier, Fire Shark, Raiden, Elemental Master, Gun Nac, OutZone, Phalanx x68k, 1941 Counter Attack, Dragon Saber, Trigon, Parodius
1991 - Gaiares, Aldynes, Crisis Force, Dogyuun, Final Soldier, Gynoug, Mercs, Super Long Nose Goblin, Detana!! Twinbee, Metal Black, Kikikaikai, Serei Senshi Spriggan, Area 88, Xexex, Magical Chase
1992 - Axelay, Gate of Thunder, Thunder Force IV, Last Resort, Parodius DA!, PC Denjin, Recca 92', Soldier Blade, Super Aleste, GleyLancer, Nexzr, Truxton II, Steel Empire, Rayxanber III, Twinkle Tale, Varth, Strahl
1993 - Batsugun, Layer Section, Eliminate Down, Hyper Duel, Raiden II, Winds of Thunder, Daioh, Cybattler, Power Strike II, Battle Mania II, Biometal, Fire Barrel, GunNail, In the Hunt, Pop'n TwinBee, EX-Ranza, Mahou Daisakusen, V-Five, Nostradamus, Super Airzonk, Terraforming

Teenage (/32bit)
1994 - Darius Gaiden, Gukujo Parodius, Gunbird, Raiden DX, Batsugun Special, Kingdom grandprix, Cotton 100%, Panorama Cotton, Nebulas Ray, Parodius II, Rapid Hero, R-Type III
1995 - Donpachi, Strikers 1945, Gekirindan, Pocky & Rocky 2, Pulstar, Cho Ren Sha x68k, Parodius III, Sapphire, Viper Phase 1
1996 - Battle Garegga, Raiden Fighters, Tengai, Sexy Parodius, Soukyugurentai, Panzer Dragoon Zwei, 19XX War Against Destiny, Twinkle Star Sprites, Air Gallet
1997 - DoDonpachi, Einhänder, Raiden Fighters II, Thunder Force V, G-Darius, Gradius Gaiden, Harmful Park, Strikers 1945 II
1998 - Radiant Silvergun, Armed Police Batrider, Blazing Star, Dangun Feveron, ESP Ra. De., Gunbird 2, Bokandesuyo, Cotton Boomerang, Raiden Fighters Jet
1999 - Guwange, GigaWing, Strikers 1945 III, Battle Bakraid, R-Type Delta, Kamui

Maturity (/128bit)
2000 - Dimahoo, Mars Matrix, Dragon Blaze
2001 - Progear, Vasara 2, Zero Gunner 2, Zanac X Zanac
2002 - Ikaruga, Ketsui, The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil, DDP DaiOuJou/BL, Radio Zonde
2003 - ESP Galuda, R-Type Final, Border Down, Perfect Cherry Blossom, Shikigami no Shiro II
2004 - Mushihimesama, Gradius V, Psyvariar 2, Hellsinker, Imperishable Night
2005 - Ibara/Kuro, ESP Galuda II, Raiden III
2006 - Mushihimesama Futari, Pink Sweets, Under Defeat, Radirgy
2007 - DeathSmiles, Muchi Muchi Pork, Mushihimesame Futari Black Label, Karous, Mountain of Faith, Triggerheart Exelica
2008 - DoDonpachi Daifukkatsu, Raiden IV, Illvelo, Blue Wish Resurrection Plus, Shikigami no Shiro III

Beer Belly (/HD era)
2009 - DeathSmiles II, Sin & Punishment 2
2010 - Akai Katana
2011 - Eschatos, Bullet Soul, Strania
2012 - DoDonpachi SaiDaiOuJou
2013 - Ginga Force, Caladrius

Twilight (/PC)
2014 - Crimzon Clover: World Ignition
2015 - Darius Burst Chronicle Saviours, Astebreed
2016 - Raiden V (Ubusana ? Natsuki Chronicles ?)

[rjosal]

I really like the idea of a timeline. I wonder if it should be more complex than a single linear timeline. Maybe branching makes sense to show the influence of certain games that create new genres or to show influence of developers? A port timeline might be interesting, but it seems ports are more when they get to it they get to it, and the fact a port was released doesn't itself have more influence on the direction of the genre or even the console it was released on. But then you look at the PCE or X360 and think maybe it did, although at least in the case of the latter it seems politics and contracts had more to do with it.

I imagine I'd like to have a shmups timeline framed in my arcade actually so I hope something visually inspiring comes of it.

[Tim James]

Twilight? SHOOTING GAME WILL NEVER DIE

[Xyga]

Wow, branching ? That's a nice idea but way more complex than what I had in mind. ^^

The general idea is not really showing precise cultural info, but rather sorting games for convenience in a clear simple general view, separating the original game release from the home release is kind of a way of showing that the timeline for the average home user/worldwide has been mostly different, shifted by a few months up to several years.

I mean unless you've lived your life in Japan, many of those games were made available to play for the non-japanese only later when the game's been ported (I don't count regional releases, that would be too much and people could import japanese games from early in the 90's anyway).

Twilight? SHOOTING GAME WILL NEVER DIE

What about Perpetual Retirement then ?

[Shepardus]

This has got you mostly covered for arcade games (but not doujin, console, and other games). Which ones are most "important" for a summary list like this is up for debate, though. I'm not sure how you chose the Touhou games but I think PoFV/PoDD and StB deserve inclusion for being more unique than most other Touhous (even though PoDD derives from Twinkle Star Sprites).

[Xyga]

Maybe I should drop the idea of a double timeline. The annoying factor being the multiple-ports, because I'd have to choose between the 'first home port' and 'best or most legitimate home port'.

The historical importance of a release would be more relevant, but that too is not always obvious.
For instance the case of Parodius is interesting since the original game came before the arcade version. But weren't the PCengine and SFC ports the most played and popular in the end ? Dunno.

PS: the current list is just a rough thing and like the rest the touhou games are almost random picks of those i played and heard the most about. I'll get into detailed picks later when i have a better idea of the form.

[Pixel_Outlaw]

I need Scramble to be in there.
For important historical reasons. Take a look.

The easiest way to do this is to copy the tables from the Xenocide files on the main site into a spreadsheet program.
LibreOffice will work if you don't have M$ Orifice.

You then take that spreadsheet and order by date.
Most spreadsheet programs will "figure it out" when copying and pasting.
Just be careful about the first and last lines when doing so.
You can then probably find a program that turns a spreadsheet into a timeline. LibreCalc may, dunno.

Here are the Xenocide files for Arcade in a spreadsheet.

300 something are listed in the file.
We still need to break out multiple release names into their own lines...

File below. (I've sorted em by release year to make your life a bit easier)
http://www.filedropper.com/xenocidefilesarcade_1

It would be really great to have this in a small portable database though.
I can probably whip up a small database with Python client if nobody else wants to. (I'm not a web dev so it would be a local query program)
It might be nice to have something you can keep locally too like a SQLite database.

[Xyga]

Thanks, actually I have a near 1000 titles file including doujin, portable games, etc.
But the point is not to put every game, only the important (innovative/landmark) and essential (iconic/best), showing landmarks and 'eras'.
I'll do this so it can be seen and read almost at once, not saying 'printable' but close (haven't decided on a form yet but i'll do a basic vertical arrow style w/ colors to begin)

I think It's hard to skip the developer, and if I end up doing a specific 'home' timeline I'd have to add the platform as well. All that takes a bit too much room...

EDIT: Ha ha if I was to do a simple arrow-like design, a single one wouldn't have enough room, or it would be a very thick/fat one.
Might be better to draw it with a 2-pages height as well.
Sure the list isn't serious yet but I can't have such a mess, so the selection will be very tight whatever the case.

Spoiler

Do you prefer it pointing up ? Or even horizontal ? (considering it will be either two parallel timelines or a single thick one)
I'm thinking about some simple gradients and maybe little illustrations, but I'll do that much later.

EDIT: a central/middle section with two large sizes to fill, can't think of a better way to exploit moar space.

[BulletMagnet]

Not sure if it'd be of much direct help, but I put together a simplified five-era "genre history" for this assignment a little ways back.

[Xyga]

Not sure if it'd be of much direct help, but I put together a simplified five-era "genre history" for this assignment a little ways back.

Yup I read all the stuff you guys did for RB, of course works like that will be more than useful to me.
For now I'm still thinking about the most convenient design to put a maximum of games without killing readability.
Also I think I'll go horizontal.

[TransatlanticFoe]

Needs some Triangle Service!

[Shepardus]

By the way, before I forget, Cho Ren Sha 68K should be listed under 1998 rather than 1995. Everyone says 1995 including the copyright year in the game itself, but according to the developer notes that was when a trial was released, not the full version. (The game is also influenced by Battle Garegga, which would be weird if it were released before Garegga.) Maybe your timeline can be the first to actually get that right!

[Xyga]

Noted!

[Horsey]

I think the problem with anything like this is you will never please everyone.
But I think it's a great idea. Retrogamer did a basic timeline in their shootemup issue and it was good seeing the progress of the genre.

You really can go as in depth as you can be bothered to be fair.

I think if you include the necessities like rtype, gradius etc and then expand from there.

Looking forward to seeing what comes of it

[Strikers1945guy]

Can't decide if teenage or maturity Era is better. Cool idea !

I agree though you'll never please everyone. If everyone contributed then we would just end up with a full list of every shmup and their respective release dates.

You could also include at the bottom a "tried but failed" list for the uh.... not so brilliant games like Karous or well... Milestone >_>

[Xyga]

Heh, pleasing everyone isn't a primary objective though I was simply thinking it would be nice to have something like that. ^^

[Obscura]

Can't decide if teenage or maturity Era is better.

Teenage, by a mile. Boom is even better.

[Xyga]

I'm not fixed on the 'eras' and the naming isn't serious but yeah we get the idea.

Actually I was thinking about splitting the Maturity one in two;

- 2000~2003 (/128bit era and rise of the 'bullet hell' style)
- 2004~2005 (/early HD era and rise of the CV1000 hardware)

Surely Ikaruga was the big thing of the decade's early years, but when Mushi and Galuda got ported I really felt something really kicked for many people, also shmups-oriented communities were growing, people getting used to emulation and discovering moar danmakus with earlier Cave, Rizing, Psikyo etc (although the games had been playable since around 2001 but peole were still discovering the beauty of piracy and all the stuff they never knew about before).

note: need moar stupid names.

EDIT: shameful engrish qweshtyon: here we say 'split in two' or 'split into two' ?

[Shepardus]

Era divisions are going to be dependent on what developers you focus on and is always going to be arbitrary to some extent. If you focus on CAVE, it makes sense to divide it at 2004 when they switched to CV1000 hardware, but looking at Team Shanghai Alice it arguably makes more sense to draw the line at 2007 with the release of Mountain of Faith.

EDIT: shameful engrish qweshtyon: here we say 'split in two' or 'split into two' ?

I think both work, but "into" sounds more natural to me here.

[Xyga]

I don't plan any focus on developers at all, only trying to spot pivotal years by games and general switches in interest and popularity for the genre.
To me Touhou didn't change the face of the shmups world and history, but it sure developped into a major franchise and phenomenon.

But mentioning Touhou is important in a way that the franchise at some point kind of split the communities and developped its own little niche in parallel of the main commercial arcade/console history thread.
Where would you say it really took off ? Personally although I already had a taste of some games it's only really around the Windows stuff and the release of PCB that I've seen people playing and discussing stuff. The whole questionable fandom shit though (and the 'split') happened years later, but what year and with what game precisely ? (if any) Dunno.

[Strikers1945guy]

Eras should be

Retro
Cave
Yagawa
Yagawa at cave
Something something Treasure
After the death of Yagawa
After the death of cave
Current

With an "so sorry guys" Era for milestone and the like >_>

[BulletMagnet]

EDIT: shameful engrish qweshtyon: here we say 'split in two' or 'split into two' ?

"Rent in twain".

[MathU]

Even in the face of some of their highest-quality output ever, Raizing, Psikyo, Compile and Seibu Kaihatsu all went out of business completely

Raizing never went out of business, BulletMagnet. They simply pulled out of the arcade scrolling shooter industry after Brave Blade and shifted to fighting games under their Eighting label. I remember some interview a while back illustrated that one of the main guys behind the Mahou series in fact still works there to this day. Might wanna make a small edit to your article there.

[Kollision]

I need Scramble to be in there.
For important historical reasons. Take a look.

+1
Defender too

[harveybirdman]

I don't have anything to add, other than to say this is really cool.

[Doctor Butler]

You need two timelines - one where Yagawa defeats Ganon as an adult, and another where he's sent back in time with the ocarina.

[Xyga]

Well his first know game/shmup Genius (msx) is from 1987 I believe, so let's say everything before that game is 'BY' and after is 'AY' (Anno Yagawi).

[MommysBestGames]

Sounds neat.
Do you have any plans to make it web-based and visual?
A version on one of those free sites like timeglider or tiki-toki would be cool.

[Xyga]

Yes why not ? Got to write a more serious list first, then it can take the form we want.
I'll post it this w-e so people can tell me what they think (I'm taking my time but am also a bit busy atm so don't expect a quick development ^^)