Verts that require targeted bombing of ground targets

[tehkao]

Why don't they make vert shmups that have this gameplay aspect anymore?

I'm talking about where you have a unlimited amount of bombs that you have to use to destroy ground targets.



The only games I know that use this are Xevious, Dragon Spirit, Ajax...how come this feature became just a brief fad in the shmup history? I really like it and thinks it makes shmups more interesting to play. It's also more "realistic" when you think about it, since it doesn't make sense that you can be shooting aerial targets and ground targets with the same weapon.

[dboeren]

Several of the Twinbee series of games have the ground bombing aspect, probably all of them. Oh, yeah, and Legendary Wings! That was a cool game, even though half the levels were platformers.

In a way it's neat, but I also feel it splits your concentration a bit. I mean, in a typical shmup you can rapidfire all the time. In a game like Ajax you have to occasionally press a different button to shoot an enemy. Perhaps I'm just not used to it, but it feels like a tiny interruption in normal gameplay to me.

It would be cool to see it come back again. Or how about a secondary weapon with limited ammo? Not talking about bombs here, but maybe something like missiles where you can keep a decent number in stock. Shot is for all the time, bombs are for rare use, something in between would be nice for a difference. Anyone know some games that use this idea?

[Zach Keene]

Anyone know some games that use this idea?

Sky Soldiers.

[M0nk3y]

Layer Section. Not sure about the sequels, never played 'em.

And Super Dimension Fortress Macross on Saturn allows you to target enemys on different planes with missiles.

[zimeon]

Deimos Rising that comes with every new Mac has this very feature.

[dboeren]

Good point about Taito's Ray[Force/Storm/Crisis] series, but these are a little different. Only the lock-on weapon can damage ground enemies, but the lock-on can also damage air enemies, and does not have a separate button for ground.

[gameoverDude]

Twin Eagle 2 has this feature. You use three buttons rather than the first game's two, and the extra one is for ground targeted bombs (you still have smart bombs as well). Dropping a bomb on something can cause a chain reaction where neighboring ground targets go down as well.

[BulletMagnet]

Good point about Taito's Ray[Force/Storm/Crisis] series, but these are a little different. Only the lock-on weapon can damage ground enemies, but the lock-on can also damage air enemies, and does not have a separate button for ground.

Guess it depends on how strictly you mean "bombs" and "ground" enemies when you say it here...Raystorm's lock-on lasers definitely aren't going to be confused for bombs, but like them they can only damage enemies below you; in the same manner, not all lock-on-able (new word!) enemies are strictly "ground," but they are "down there," and the lock-on is the only way to get at 'em. More or less the same concept with a different presentation, as far as I'm concerned.

[landshark]

I despise these shmups

[Darkcomet72]

Master of weapon.

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