Most Ported SHMUP

[Aggro Sky]

Hey everyone. I have a question that maybe you all can help me with. What is the most ported SHMUP of all time? I'm talking about ports to actual home computers and consoles, not mobile phones etc. Defender would seem to have been ported to at least 13 different machines (probably more if you count newer consoles and compilation discs). Space Invaders on the other hand, would be the obvious choice I'm assuming as it's been ported to pretty much every console and computer, ever. But let's be honest, is Space Invaders even considered a "true" SHMUP? Or more like a precursor that inspired the creation of the genre?

Anyway, the reason I am asking is because I am working on a video for Forgotten Worlds, a game that has a total of TEN ports on various old computers and consoles (14 if you count modern consoles including the Wii VC, at least what I can track down). So is it safe to say that Forgotten Worlds is one of the most ported SHMUPS of all time? It would certainly appear so, at the very least, one of the most ported of the "16-bit generation" (despite many of the ports actually being d-ports to 8-bit computers).

Just wondering if anyone had any insight or ideas. Thanks!

[Vludi]

It will be an early 80s game for sure, a wild guess is Galaga: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q1BrMrXdk8
Also why don't you consider Space Invaders a shoot 'em up? the fundamental elements are there, except for scrolling of course which came out later. I suppose Xevious had tons of ports anyway

[Aggro Sky]

It will be an early 80s game for sure, a wild guess is Galaga: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q1BrMrXdk8
Also why don't you consider Space Invaders a shoot 'em up? the fundamental elements are there, except for scrolling of course which came out later. I suppose Xevious had tons of ports anyway

That's my issue I guess, no scrolling. I always figured there had to be some sort of scrolling for it to be considered a true SHMUP...

[WelshMegalodon]

This is one of those rare occasions where HG101 comes in useful.

Here are the three titles that immediately come to mind, with known versions listed.

Gradius:
Arcade, NES, MSX, PC88, Sharp X1, X68000, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, PC Engine, Saturn, PlayStation, Windows, PSP, NDS, Wii Virtual Console, 3DS eShop

R-Type:
Arcade, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Game Boy, MSX, PC-88, Sega Master System, TubroGrafx-16, X68000, ZX Spectrum, Wii Virtual Console, XBLA, PSN, iOS, Android

Xevious:
Arcade, NES, MZ-700, MZ-2500, PC-6000, PC-8001mkII/SR, PC-8801, X1, FM-7, FM-77, PC-98, X68000, SPC-1000, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 7800, Famicom Disk System, MSX, MSX2, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari ST, PC Engine, PlayStation, Windows, Zaurus, Mobile, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, PSP, NDS, Wii, WiiU, 3DS, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, iOS, Plug & Play, Browser

And if we count borderliners...

Space Harrier:
Arcade, Sega Master System, TurboGrafx-16, Famicom, Game Gear, DOS, Amiga, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, Atari 8-bit, X68000, PC88, PC60, Sharp MZ-700, Sharp X1, FM7, 32X, Saturn, Game Boy Advance, Dreamcast, Xbox, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii Virtual Console, 3DS eShop

There are also lists of ports on Giant Bomb, but they don't appear to be as comprehensive. For example, the PC Engine release of Xevious isn't listed.

[Shepardus]

Space Invaders, Galaga, or Xevious would be my guess, even if you exclude unofficial ports/clones (of which there are probably a ton for Space Invaders and Galaga).

It will be an early 80s game for sure, a wild guess is Galaga: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q1BrMrXdk8
Also why don't you consider Space Invaders a shoot 'em up? the fundamental elements are there, except for scrolling of course which came out later. I suppose Xevious had tons of ports anyway

That's my issue I guess, no scrolling. I always figured there had to be some sort of scrolling for it to be considered a true SHMUP...

It's hard to argue that Space Bomber isn't a shmup despite its lacking scrolling.

[Aggro Sky]

Space Invaders, Galaga, or Xevious would be my guess, even if you exclude unofficial ports/clones (of which there are probably a ton for Space Invaders and Galaga).

It will be an early 80s game for sure, a wild guess is Galaga: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q1BrMrXdk8
Also why don't you consider Space Invaders a shoot 'em up? the fundamental elements are there, except for scrolling of course which came out later. I suppose Xevious had tons of ports anyway

That's my issue I guess, no scrolling. I always figured there had to be some sort of scrolling for it to be considered a true SHMUP...

It's hard to argue that Space Bomber isn't a shmup despite its lacking scrolling.

Yeah I guess I'm not arguing that it isn't, more that it inspired the entire genre. Sort of like Adventure inspired many RPG's. Yet, both those games only offer the absolute bare bone minimum requirements to be classified in the genre.

[WelshMegalodon]

It would be more accurate to label Adventure as a progenitor of the action-adventure genre, rather than of the "RPG" (by most definitions of that term).

[Pedro Lambrini]

Personally, I have no qualms calling Space Invaders a shmup. Scrolling, for the most part, is an illusion anyway. Switch off scrolling backgrounds in an accepted vert shmup and you've got a version of Space Invaders.

I suppose Galaga and Galaxian must be right up there too (Do scrolling starfields count with regards to scrolling shooters).

[davyK]

It's hard to imagine anything being ported more than Space Invaders. Galaxian , Galaga and Xevious would be close.

And yes. They are all shmups.

[d0s]

can "ports" to the western 8/16bit microcomputer peanut gallery really be considered ports? they're more like creative interpretations

[OmegaFlareX]

But let's be honest, is Space Invaders even considered a "true" SHMUP?

Absolutely. I lump all the pre-Xevious protoshmups in there. Just not multi-directionals like Asteroids or Robotron, those have more in common with arena shooters/run-n-guns.

can "ports" to the western 8/16bit microcomputer peanut gallery really be considered ports? they're more like creative interpretations

ZX Spectrum anything is just... I have no words.

[d0s]

ZX Spectrum anything is just... I have no words.

Code: Select all

[04:46PM] <bVork> every game on the spectrum looks like a bad rom dump

[Aggro Sky]

can "ports" to the western 8/16bit microcomputer peanut gallery really be considered ports? they're more like creative interpretations

That IS a good point. And one I plan to explore thoroughly in this video as I find the d-ports of Forgotten Worlds to be really strange curiosities...

Thanks for the clarification and ideas everyone. I guess the consensus is that Space Invaders really is the grand daddy of all SHMUPS and very likely the most ported one as well. Either way, Forgotten Worlds has a total of 13 ports, 10 of them all within the same time period, that alone makes for some interesting subject matter I think.

[WelshMegalodon]

The amateur gaming historian in me is a bit disappointed by all the Spectrum hate. While most of its arcade ports are indeed garbage, there were a few diamonds in the rough (most notably R-Type), and in any case, I'm told the Speccy was better suited to games like Laser Squad or The Lords of Midnight. And as far as early 80s action games go, you could do much worse than Chuckie Egg.

[davyK]

I loath the 8bit micro era. It almost put me off gaming altogether. There are a small handful of games from that time that I find playable now. Chuckie Egg and Jet Set Willy are still playable platformers. STG-wise there is Dropzone which is an excellent Defender update by Archer Maclean and Thrust which is a gravity shooter (which incidentally in recent times got a technically stunning homebrew port to the Atari 2600).

[WelshMegalodon]

I maintain that games like Ballblazer and Rescue on Fractalus! are impressive for the time, even if they don't play as well today as one might like.

[TransatlanticFoe]

can "ports" to the western 8/16bit microcomputer peanut gallery really be considered ports? they're more like creative interpretations

They mostly represent the game well enough to be recognisable. Given their low cost and home computing being in its infancy, it's pretty amazing what was achieved. For many they were the only viable home experience, the games were much cheaper than consoles. Yeah they're usually unplayable by modern standards but was overlooked at the time because pretty much any home video game was mindblowing.

[WelshMegalodon]

home computing being in its infancy

pretty much any home video game was mindblowing.

In the 70s maybe, but I think lumping mid- to late-80s microcomputer games into that category is a little unfair, unless you also feel that arcade and console games from that time are also representative of gaming in its "infancy". Starflight certainly doesn't give off the air of an undeveloped generation. Neither does Ultima V.

I've always seen these microcomputer ports as being low-effort cash-ins to machines that couldn't possibly handle such titles - think Super Street Fighter II X and Zero 3 on the Game Boy Advance.

I needn't point out the resemblance your sentiments bear to what certain ignorant people think of the pre-PS1 generation.

[TransatlanticFoe]

Infancy as in early days, for gaming as a whole but especially home gaming. Your Speccy/C64 type ports represented an affordable home gaming experience, given the cost of an IBM/Mac and even early home consoles. To pretend those ports didn't happen because they were on much weaker hardware and are often seriously ugly (visually and to play) is a dis-service to those for whom it was the only way to play arcade games in the home.

Yeah they're cash ins, all home ports are. Because people want to play games at home, not when they go to the seaside/whatever solitary title is at the pizza joint or leisure centre at the time. At the time it was your only option so you made do with what your underpowered little box could handle. And it was brilliant. It was the first time people could do it and it was exciting.

[Aggro Sky]

Getting lots of interesting opinions on this topic. I'm glad I brought it up! Personally, from what I've played of 8-bit Micro ports... they are odd. I understand their purpose though, even though many of the games just aren't playable now days...

The amateur gaming historian in me is a bit disappointed by all the Spectrum hate. While most of its arcade ports are indeed garbage, there were a few diamonds in the rough (most notably R-Type), and in any case, I'm told the Speccy was better suited to games like Laser Squad or The Lords of Midnight. And as far as early 80s action games go, you could do much worse than Chuckie Egg.

I had no idea R-Type got a Speccy port! That is crazy! Although, if you consider the Gameboy port of R-Type and how good it was considering the hardware, I guess it makes sense.

[Despatche]

I'm not really sure this topic can be answered honestly without figuring out exactly what kind of ports we're talking about. 360 ports of CAVE games, NES and Mega Drive arcade conversions, whatever all those European computer... licensed products... are supposed to be, and things like Sagaia and Nemesis on the Game Boy are four very different things.

That Cracked thread is great, how did I miss that? I think HG101 is worse because they're supposed to know better, but there are far too many sites like Cracked in this world, and many of them get paid actual money for their shoddy work. And no, Cracked is only supposed to half-joke about everything, they're deadly serious with intent.

[WelshMegalodon]

Infancy as in early days, for gaming as a whole but especially home gaming. Your Speccy/C64 type ports represented an affordable home gaming experience, given the cost of an IBM/Mac and even early home consoles. To pretend those ports didn't happen because they were on much weaker hardware and are often seriously ugly (visually and to play) is a dis-service to those for whom it was the only way to play arcade games in the home.

Yeah they're cash ins, all home ports are. Because people want to play games at home, not when they go to the seaside/whatever solitary title is at the pizza joint or leisure centre at the time. At the time it was your only option so you made do with what your underpowered little box could handle. And it was brilliant. It was the first time people could do it and it was exciting.

Don't get me wrong, I adore 80s arcade ports - the good ones, at least. The Atari 800 and other microcomputers received excellent versions of pre-crash titles, and there's no shortage of extremely playable conversions on both the Famicom and the Master System. What you are describing is spot on for something like the Famicom port of Dragon Spirit or most anything by Tengen. Double Dragon on the freaking C64, not so much. One should also note that arcade ports were hardly a novelty by the late 80s, having been around since the 2600, and it's difficult to muster up respect for OutRun on the Amiga when there was an older, more playable version on the Master System.

[Nick420]

It's not a lack of scrolling that would make me consider space invaders and the likes as a pre-cursor to what we know as a shmup today. It's the lack of 8 way movement.
Surely this is what separates the two?

[Shepardus]

Gaplus has 8-way movement (albeit limited to the bottom half of the screen) yet it bears much more in common with Galaga and other fixed shooters than your typical scrolling shooter. Galaga 88 goes the other way, containing sections with scrolling backdrops but no vertical movement.

[ED-057]

1943, Centipede, and Fantasy Zone have had more than a few ports...

If Xevious has so many ports, how is it possible that I've only played this game once? (IIRC it was on an Atari 7800)

[IseeThings]

weighing in on the 8-bits argument I personally find the 8-bit scene outside of Japan to be far more interesting than the 8-bit scene in Japan.

yes, most of the arcade ports aren't great, but many of the original games are.

also the ports that exist are generally more interesting *because* they're creative interpretations, while most of the Japanese ports just feel like 'lite' versions of the arcade games, and quite stale by comparison.

I can understand why users of this form aren't big fans, they weren't really good platforms for putting out fast paced action games with smooth scrolling, lots of action etc. so weren't really that suited to shooters but a lot of the other output on the platforms was top rate, and some of the Speccy 128+ AY tunes are to die for even today.

[ciox]

But let's be honest, is Space Invaders even considered a "true" SHMUP?

Absolutely. I lump all the pre-Xevious protoshmups in there. Just not multi-directionals like Asteroids or Robotron, those have more in common with arena shooters/run-n-guns.

can "ports" to the western 8/16bit microcomputer peanut gallery really be considered ports? they're more like creative interpretations

ZX Spectrum anything is just... I have no words.

This is an exaggeration, while the Spectrum is ill fit for fast action games with lots of moving objects, there are still developers who managed to get something going, other than the aforementioned R-Type port there's a bunch of very playable original shmups like Xecutor, Zynaps and Dark Fusion, add Cybernoid 1&2 for a less traditional riff on a shmup which is more tactical as it's flip-screen instead of scrolling and gives you no less than 5 special weapons with very limited ammo to be used intelligently.

[IseeThings]

But let's be honest, is Space Invaders even considered a "true" SHMUP?

Absolutely. I lump all the pre-Xevious protoshmups in there. Just not multi-directionals like Asteroids or Robotron, those have more in common with arena shooters/run-n-guns.

can "ports" to the western 8/16bit microcomputer peanut gallery really be considered ports? they're more like creative interpretations

ZX Spectrum anything is just... I have no words.

This is an exaggeration, while the Spectrum is ill fit for fast action games with lots of moving objects, there are still developers who managed to get something going, other than the aforementioned R-Type port there's a bunch of very playable original shmups like Xecutor, Zynaps and Dark Fusion, add Cybernoid 1&2 for a less traditional riff on a shmup which is more tactical as it's flip-screen instead of scrolling and gives you no less than 5 special weapons with very limited ammo to be used intelligently.

also things like Exolon could be considered 'proto run & gun' there are shooting elements and platform elements, different weapon types (missile and shot)

but yeah, plenty of good games on the platforms that are still VERY playable today.

[ciox]

also things like Exolon could be considered 'proto run & gun' there are shooting elements and platform elements, different weapon types (missile and shot)

but yeah, plenty of good games on the platforms that are still VERY playable today.

Yeah, run'n'gun wise Contra was coming out around just that time (1987) to be fair so it was just impressive that the Spectrum wasn't falling too hard behind arcade gaming, Exolon was on the tip of my tongue since it's what the devs made right after Cybernoid if I recall, really Exolon and Cybernoid are extremely similar when you think about it, Exolon just has less weapons and you jump instead of hovering.

Man looking back Zynaps looks pretty damn good for 1987, it actually feels a little bit like R-Type at times and it's an original game that came out at almost the exact same time. Get a load of this fucking boss! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZlITRk0T2w#t=16m10s there's more awesome and strategic moments throughout the game too even though the programming is extremely simple, like a huge boss that just moves small increments towards your last position, but since he's so big and there's obstacles around it makes it a pretty good encounter.

Another pretty cool moment was in Cybernoid where each level had an area where you could shoot down lots of enemies above a chasm, gave you a kind of proto-medalling feel where you have to catch items before they drop, in a horizontal shmup to boot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ2JJJGdIck#t=6m32s
And this terrain interaction stuff felt sorta like R-Type too, where you had to take care to either destroy the terrain to keep those centipede enemies from reaching you by walking on it, or avoid destroying it in order to keep the centipede enemies trapped https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ2JJJGdIck
That's not to mention the pod that attaches to your backside and animates tied to your movement kinda like the Force, and some other interesting powerups, I really want to give it another whirl now, looking up all these old games for anti-defamation material has given me some serious hankering for old Spectrum stuff.

[WelshMegalodon]

Man looking back Zynaps looks pretty damn good for 1987, it actually feels a little bit like R-Type at times and it's an original game that came out at almost the exact same time. Get a load of this fucking boss! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZlITRk0T2w#t=16m10s

Here's a better video.