Must own PS2/PS3/PS4/Switch/PC shmups?

[RobHimself]

Hey everyone, I'd like to get your guys' recommendations on must own/play shmups for the PS2/PS3/PS4/Switch.

All my consoles are North America region, but my understanding is the PS3 and PS4 are not region locked.

About 10 years ago I came across this website and went through the "annual top 25 shmups of all time" lists looking to find the game the community thought was the best of its genre. I kept seeing Battle Garegga in the top spot or close. I looked up some videos/screenshots of the game and I really liked the aesthetic, how bullets were not so easily identifiable on screen, etc. So I bought a Japanese Saturn and a copy of the game (this was before the M2 port/revision on PS4), fell in love with it. I liked the scoring system and part of the strategy was to play it in a way that was kinda counter-intuitive. I played the game a ton but for whatever reason I never looked beyond Garegga for other shmups to play.

Fast forward to today and I recently acquired my first arcade stick for fighting games. To try to get more comfortable using a joystick, I wanted to play other genres and shmups was an obvious choice. I bought the M2 version of Garegga and having a blast playing it with the stick.

But I want to expand my horizons and try other games.

What do you guys recommend I must play? Anything goes really. Horizontal or vertical shmups. I'm not picky at all when it comes to aesthetic, I just want to play the best games I can get. I see M2 did a port of Ketsui: Kizuna Jigoku Tachi last year on PS4 so I'll get that this weekend to play.

It doesn't have to be just PS4. I have a PS2 and PS3 so if there are games exclusive to those consoles only I should take a look at, I will do so. I have a Nintendo Switch as well and IIRC might have some shmups not available on the Playstation consoles? Not sure. And anything on Steam. I already have Ikaruga on Steam which I've dabbled with, but should I look at getting a better port of the game?

I greatly appreciate all the information and contributions that's on this site. I'd like to dive in to the world of shmups and get started with known classics/favorites, so if anyone can help I'd be most grateful.

Thanks for reading.

[CHI]

Welcome...

XBox 360 - they have a pretty nice little collection of shmups, especially if you like CAVE games.

Regs, CHI

[To Far Away Times]

If you like Garegga, there are two other games by the same studio that sort of form a loose trilogy; Armed Police Batrider and Battle Bakraid. Both of those are classics and absolutely worth playing. I actually like them more than Garegga though I don't think that's a common opinion around here.

Kingdom Grandprix is unconventional (a racing and shmup hybrid) and I believe features some staff that would go on to make Garegga. Miyamoto appears in both Kingdom Grandprix and Garegga. And if you want to go back even farther, there's Sorcer Striker. Miyamoto is in that game as well.

Batsugun has delicious audio and visuals and was Toaplan's last game before most of the team went on to form CAVE. Some people consider it the first bullet hell game. (Either Batsugun or DoDonPachi usually get the honors there.)

And on the completely opposite side of the spectrum would be games like R-Type which are really puzzle-like. I really like that style of gameplay. That might scratch the Ikaruga itch.

[Wittischism]

Out of those consoles, Switch is the one I play the most often for shmupping.
My personal favorites are:

Crimzon Clover World eXPlosion
Mushihimesama
Deathsmiles Collection (coming this December)
Espgaluda II
Capcom Arcade Stadium, for Gigawing and Progear
Space Invaders Invincible Collection
Namco Collections, for the Galaxian series (Galaga, Galaga 88, GaPlus)
Missile Dancer

On Switch and PS4

Raiden IV Mikado
Ikaruga
Esprade Psi

PS4
Ketsui Deathtiny
Natsuki Chronicles

PS3

Ketsui
Gundemonium Recollection

PS1 games play and look great on PS3

Raiden Project
Einhander - I still prefer vertical games to horis but this one is solid

[BulletMagnet]

If you're looking for shmups on the PS2 I definitely recommend getting ahold of a Japanese model at some point; this opens up not only the Japan-exclusive PS2 stuff, but the loads of PS1 shooters that never got here as well (though obviously many of them are pricier now than they were back in the day). In the meantime, on the domestic front I'd recommend Gradius V and Castle Shikigami 2 (if you don't mind some legendarily cheesy voice acting); in terms of compilations you might want to check out the Capcom Classics Collections and Taito Legends duos (not ideal ports/emulations, but serviceable). If you're into R-Type the PS1 has Delta and the "R-Types" compilation, and Final is on the PS2, though the latter is a somewhat divisive entry.

The PS3 is unfortunately somewhat underserved shmup-wise, as the 360 got the lion's share at that point in time (again, a Japanese system in particular gives you access to a lot, though a decent amount of those have since hit Steam and other platforms); a handful of older ones can be downloaded while the store is still up (IIRC Harmful Park is on the Japanese store, and Gaia Seed is on the US one, among others), and you can also keep an eye out for Mamoru-kun Curse (digital only in the US, physical in Japan) and Under Defeat HD.

A lot of the stuff on the PS4 is also on the Switch (and a lot of that is also on Steam), so it tends to be whether you prioritize portability or a bit less input lag; ESP Ra.de and Ketsui have already been mentioned, so I'll toss the Vasara collection on top (not everyone's favorite, but I've always had a soft spot for it) and the recent glut of Cotton titles - "Reboot" includes the X68000 port of the original plus a new arranged mode, "Saturn Tribute" includes 2 and Boomerang as well as Guardian Force (but also a lot of input lag, a lot of folks are holding out for a patch), and "Rock n Roll" is sort of a "re-imagining" of the original with a bunch of extra characters, out in December.

PC...heck, you could just stick to the decent-or-better freeware stuff alone and have more titles than you could ever hope to play.

[hamfighterx]

Honestly, you can't really go wrong with anything in the M2 ShotTriggers series (PS4, and more recently Switch). They give a nice varied selection of some real gems, and a bit of a history lesson from some of the most notable Japanese devs (Cave, Compile, Toaplan, Raizing). The biggest highlights would be the ones you already mentioned, Garegga and Ketsui - both are masterpieces of the genre. Next up is probably Esp Ra.De., to see some early Cave, but Aleste Collection is interesting to get some exposure to Compile and their games (though may feel a bit dated to some modern players).

Darius Cozmic Collection (PS4/Switch) will give you some classic horizontal scrolling shooters. Darius Gaiden is the highlight IMO, but it's nice to be able to see the original and Darius II. If you love the series, grab the newer Cozmic Revelation to see G-Darius and Dariusburst AC.

Sega Ages Thunderforce IV (Switch) - the best version of a defining 16-bit side scroller in an influential series.

Try something by Psikyo to get a sense of their style. Either pick up one of the Switch compilations, or you can grab games individually off the e-shop. I'd suggest Strikers 1945 I or II, Gunbird II, and Dragon Blaze as the top picks.

Raiden is on Switch/PS4 (download) in the Arcade Archives series and still worth a look. Hugely influential game and still fun.

The Konami Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection (Switch/PS4 digital) collects some of the most notable Konami shooters. Gradius I and II, Life Force, Twin Bee. Good price here for a nice selection, and if you want more Konami action several more of their shooters are in the Arcade Archives series.

Mushihimesame (Switch or Steam) is one of Cave's best, IMO. Easily accessible too, thanks to being on modern platforms (this version is basically a port of the Japanese Xbox 360 version).

Dodonpachi Daioujou is, IMO, maybe the definitive Cave title and an absolute masterpiece. Hard as hell though. PS2 port is good, and not as exorbitantly priced as some other shooters of the era.

Seconding BulletMagnet's recommendation of Under Defeat on PS3. Great game.

[davyK]

My picks:

PS1 : Raiden Project, Raiden DX, Xevious 3D/G+, RType Delta, In The Hunt.
PS2 : Homura, Dragon Blaze, Castle Shikigami (1 & 2), DoDonPachi Dai Ou Jou, Espgaluda, Tengai, Samurai Aces (last 2 are on 1 disc in JP), XII Stag,Psyvariar Complete Edition, RType Final ,Gradius V, Raiden III
PC : DDP:Resurrection, Mushihimesama (also on Switch), Raiden IV and V, Crimzon Clover (also on Switch)
No PS3/4 but : 360 : Mushihimesama Futari, Under Defeat (guessing the PS3 version is just as good), Deathsmiles, Espgaluda II, DDP:Resurrection
Switch : Darius Arcade Collection (also on PS4), Espgaluda II, DDP:Resurrection (to be released)

[heli]

My friend his son got a software mod for PS2, can play all ROMS and regions, no hardware mod involved.
btw : PS3 is not region free.

[Jonpachi]

btw : PS3 is not region free.

PS3 games are region free. Older games on PS1 or PS2 that were region-locked remain so.

[heli]

Ohh, now i only have under defeat for PS3.
This gonna cost, argh.

[finisherr]

It's like you mentioned every console except the one that actually matters = P

In all honest, I'd tell you to get a J360 and pick up the entire cave shooting collection and then pick up the Psikyo collection on Switch, in addition to Rolling Gunner on Switch. This will occupy many years of your life if you like shooting games.

[Jonpachi]

pick up the Psikyo collection on Switch

No, these are awful ports with high input lag. They're not worth the price unless you have absolutely no access to better alternatives.

[RobHimself]

Hey thanks everyone for your replies and great suggestions.

It's like you mentioned every console except the one that actually matters = P

In all honest, I'd tell you to get a J360 and pick up the entire cave shooting collection and then pick up the Psikyo collection on Switch, in addition to Rolling Gunner on Switch. This will occupy many years of your life if you like shooting games.

Yeah I have a NA 360, but I'll look at getting a JPN 360. Holy crap how in the world did Xbox get that many shmups?

I'm using an arcade stick, but I wonder if the Sanwa JLF lever I have has too long of a throw. Maybe I should look at getting a Seimtsu lever with short throw and look at different gate options.

[Sengoku Strider]

If I were to recommend anything, it would be to grab Ketsui if you're able to hang with Garegga. It might well be the best shmup port - or even just shmup - of all time. It can keep you busy by itself for a long time.

Grab Ikaruga on PS4 because if you get into shmups you're either going to love it, or at least end up reading a lot of discussions where it's referenced. Some will argue it's Treasure's finest moment.

PS3 is pretty much a wasteland, but the PS2 did well for itself. Gradius V was developed by Treasure and is a PS2 exclusive, R-Type Final as well. Ibara and Espgaluda are PS2 console exclusives. But for most of its other worthwhile titles, they can be found on PC much more accessibly. Dodonpachi DaiOuJou, Gunbird 2, Mushihime-sama are all pinnacle genre entries.

Yeah I have a NA 360, but I'll look at getting a JPN 360. Holy crap how in the world did Xbox get that many shmups?

Microsoft Japan desperately needed a reason for gamers to buy their console. So they cornered a genre that was too small time for Sony & Nintendo to care about, but which had a following among the type of gamer who are early adopters, hardcore players, buy a lot & evangelize online (how many Sega Saturns has the shmup community sold through praise over the past 20 years?).

For anything on the JP 360 though, look into upcoming releases. It seems like most of its library is seeing re-release on contemporary platforms. A Switch would be a much better buy at this point; it's dominated the Japanese market for years, meaning it's where all the Japanese development has ended up. And quite frankly it already has a better library of hardcore shmups than the JP 360 did, and probably the PS2 as well. Just be aware that Switch games tend to have an extra frame of input lag vs. the same game on PS4 due to how its inputs work. It's not a killer, and the tradeoff is you get portability, but it's something to look out for if you're sensitive to that sort of thing.

[RobHimself]

Thank you for the recs.

I already have Ikaruga on Steam. Is the PS4 version better?

For anything on the JP 360 though, look into upcoming releases. It seems like most of its library is seeing re-release on contemporary platforms. A Switch would be a much better buy at this point; it's dominated the Japanese market for years, meaning it's where all the Japanese development has ended up. And quite frankly it already has a better library of hardcore shmups than the JP 360 did, and probably the PS2 as well. Just be aware that Switch games tend to have an extra frame of input lag vs. the same game on PS4 due to how its inputs work. It's not a killer, and the tradeoff is you get portability, but it's something to look out for if you're sensitive to that sort of thing.

The other dilemma I have is my arcade stick only works with PS3/PS4/PC. Would you have any recommendations for sticks that are compatible with Switch?

[jehu]

The other dilemma I have is my arcade stick only works with PS3/PS4/PC. Would you have any recommendations for sticks that are compatible with Switch?

Instead of getting a new stick, you might consider investing in a PS4 to Switch converter. I haven't used them myself, but I've heard good things about Brooks' converters.

https://www.brookaccessory.com/detail/10323791/

[BrianC]

Ikaruga on Steam is very similar to the PS4 version. The recent versions, including Switch, all have low input lag.

[Immryr]

Hey thanks everyone for your replies and great suggestions.

I'm using an arcade stick, but I wonder if the Sanwa JLF lever I have has too long of a throw. Maybe I should look at getting a Seimtsu lever with short throw and look at different gate options.

just get a firmer spring and the kowal oversize actuator! it makes a big difference for very little money, and it's super easy to install.