Although I feel very good about my votes and selections for this years Top 25 Shmups of All Time, as a first time voter gotta share the love for autre STGs not in top 25 or in 10 honorable mentions, for OCD sake, “for posterity” and for clear conscience…
1941: Counter Attack
1944: The Loop Master
19xx: The War Against Destiny
After Burner
After Burner Climax
Akai Katana Shin
Akka Arrh (Jeff Minter 2023)
Aero Fighters Special
Air Duel
Alpha Mission
Alpha Mission II
Andro Dunos
Andro Dunos 2
Armed Police Batrider
Astro Blaster
Bakuretsu Breaker
Batsugun Special
Battle Chopper
Bio-Ship Paladin
Blaster
Blazing Star
Border Down
Cal. 50
Centipede
Chaos Field
Chuka Taisen
Cosmic Cop (hopeful to get thru Aca)
Cotton Reboot
Cotton Rock ‘n Roll
Crimzon Clover for NESICAxLive
Crimzon Clover: World Ignition
Crimzon Clover World EXplosion
Daioh
Dangun Feveron
Daisenpu
Darwin 4078
Deathsmiles
Dimahoo
Donpachi
Dodonpachi
ESP Ra.De.
Espgaluda
Exed Eyes
Fantasy Zone
Fantasy Zone II The Tears of Opa-Opa
Final Star Force
Fire Barrel
Galaga
Galaxian
Gekirindan
Gigawing
Gorf
Gridrunner
Gunbird
Gunbird 2
Guwange
Hellfire
Hyper Duel
Ibara BL
Ikari Warriors
Ikaruga
Illvelo
Karous
Last Resort
Legion Spinner 87 (hopeful to get thru Aca)
Metal Black
Millipede
Moose Life
Mushihimesama
Missile Command
Omega Fighter
Out Zone
Progear no Arashi
Psyvariar 2
Pulstar
R-Type
R-Type II
R-Type Leo
Parodious DA!
Radirgy
Radirgy Noa
Rapid Hero
RayCrisis
RayForce
RayStorm
Razion Ex
Rolling Gunner
Saint Dragon
Search and Rescue
Sengoku Ace
Slap Fight
SophStar
Space Firebird
Space Harrier
Space Invaders II
Space Invaders Invincible Collection *all games therein
Space Giraffe
Star Wars (Atari 1983)
Strikers 1945
Strikers 1945 II
Super Real Darwin
Super Spacefortress Macross
Super Spacefortress Macross II
Task Force Harrier
Tatsujin
Tatsujin Oh
Tempest 2000
Tengai
Terra Cresta
Terra Force
Thunder Cross
Thunder Cross II
Thunder Dragon 2
Thunder Force AC
TNK III
Total Carnage
Trizeal
Twin Bee Yahoo!
Twinkle Star Sprites
UFO Robo Dangar (hopeful to get thru Aca)
Varth
Vasara
Vasara 2
Vimana
Victory Road
Wizard of Wor
Xexex
Zaxxon
Zed Blade
Zero Gunner
Zero Gunner 2
Zero Wing
Not all the STGs I play but rather all the STGs I play regularly (for most part every couple of weeks or less); essentially “the best of the rest.”
As stated numerous times elsewhere I suffer from LOFT — lack of fucking talent — when it comes to STGs and video games in general but I “grew up in an arcade” and have loved video games since turning 9 in 1978. Sadly the only STGs to date I’ve 1CC’d are Blackbird and Cotton Reboot.
Lots here needless to say but had to share the Nichibutsus especially as only Armed F got a vote for this years tally.