Saddest moments in shmups? (Spoilers)

[CStarFlare]

I'm glad you feel it too.

[Skykid]

When xxx1993 posts in "The Movies You Just Watched" thread.

[Skykid]

For me it's when Seseri is killed at the end of the stage 5 boss fight in Espgaluda II.

The anguish in her scream is just heart rending, knowing that although she is on the wrong side of the war, she is still an emotional being. The reveal of her android truth as she falls during that death scream brought me to tears the first ten times I defeated her.

Afterwards I was so emotionally distressed I had to pause the game at the start of the final stage, close the curtains, take off my clothes and curl into a ball in the coldest, darkest corner of the room.

Sometimes I would shake so much in anguish I would involuntarily defecate, and I couldn't look my parents in the eyes for days.

I consider this scene to be inappropriate for anyone with a sensitive disposition, and I consider it responsible for the fact I haven't left my bedroom in eight years.

[Sumez]

Geeze, spoilers, man.

[Skykid]

Sorry

[Sumez]

I really have no idea what the names of these bosses are, I just know them by their bullet patterns

[trap15]

When xxx1993 posts

[Skykid]

I was waiting for that one

[DoomsDave]

Did anyone mention ending D in Galaga yet?

[Sumez]

We try not to think of it

[EmperorIng]

Galaga

War is hell, man.

Spoiler

[BIL]

War is hell, man.

Or perhaps... man is war.

Spoiler

[Oniros]

Ending of Mushihimesama is pretty sad.

[wgogh]

I remember a kind of Romeo and Juliet ending for Akai Katana.
But of course, the whole game's story is that japanese overly dramatic, so in the end its funny because it tries to be so sad.

[Stevens]

When you die before using any of your bombs

This is the correct answer.

[SMC]

When Off Topic has 32 times as many posts as Strategy.

[wizkid]

when you press a button before break is ready and bomb instead

[copy-paster]

Ketsui and DOJ endings are all downer.

[xxx1993]

Actually, Ketsui isn't all that bad, seeing that it turns out the pilots faked their deaths after completing their mission. And there's one ending in DOJ where one of the Element Dolls manages to escape from her captors and later reunites with her pilot.

[Sumez]

The addition of "element dolls" to Dodonpachi is definitely up there among sad moments in shmup history.

[xxx1993]

Hina's death in SaiDaiOuJou made me cry.

[Feedbacker]

[Deadliar]

Unironically speaking, Zero Wing.

The execution is horrible and, of course, funny thanks to the bad translation. What hits me about ZW is what it stands for and perhaps what it could've been.

The idea of everyone except you being dead always left me with a feeling that you aren't a hero who wants to save the world, rather a survivor on a quest for revenge.

Perhaps this is unintentional derailing because the former is more badass than sad, really.

On a more serious scale, Cambria Sword is a touching masterpiece : ^)