Singe Player Shmups with a lot of content?

[dre1]

Are there any shoot-'em-ups with engaging single-player content—such as branching paths (like in *Darius*) or unlockables like ships—that make multiple playthroughs fun?

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Well, with the PC Engine Arcade CD-Rom2 stg of Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire, you can choose from four different fightecrafts + plus it supports simultaneous two-player co-op as well. Please give it a spin and try it out.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Light1000]

Touhou 8
Crimzon Clover World Explosion

[D]

Sonic Wings Special
26 ships unlockable
branching paths, many levels

[Ixmucane2]

Xeno Fighters R has both many long levels (played individually or linked in a campaign with some branching) and many substantially different player ships.
I tend to practice the same level with different ships, attempting to find a suitable one.

[Necronom]

R-Type Final 2 has around 100 playable ships, including dlc.
Many well designed arcade stgs/shmups make "multiple playthroughs fun" by design.
My favourite (with lots of 'stuff'): Raiden Fighters Aces

[Steven]

Literally everything that has score (I know there is at least one that doesn't but I forgot its name) if you play for score. Well, except things that have infinite score design flaws.

[AGermanArtist]

Would Qute's output fit?

[NeoStrayCat]

Would Qute's output fit?

Probably, yeah, however...

Eschatos requires you to play a lot to with an experience system to unlock content. Judgment Silversword uses your score to unlock content. Ginga Force and Natsuki Chronicle has a shop system to unlock everything on there, which will take a while.

[davyK]

RType Final has a pile of content to unlock.

Someone has already mentioned R-Type Final 2 but I don't know how much that's based on the first one (not to mention how ridiculous a concept that is - Final 2!!!)

The Mushihimesama port has a pile of content in the form of modes etc albeit unlocked from the start, same with DoDonPachi DFK (aka Resurrection). DFK's content is bewildering there's so much of it.

The Raiden Fighters games have a pile of replay because of the ship selection. The later Parodius games are the same - especially Oshaberi Parodius which also has special score attack modes.

[beer gas canister]

Mecha Ritz, The Void Rains Upon Her Heart, Angel at Dusk

[Daytime Waitress]

I tend to gravitate towards games where ships/characters are so radically different that it feels like you're playing a whole other game depending on your selection, so I'd recommend Sophstar, Alfa System's Castle of Shikigami 1&2 (and also "4", Sister's Royale)* and Cotton Rock'n Roll. The latter also leaves stage selection entirely up to the player, so you can stitch together a run entirely suited to your playstyle/prefence.

Spoiler

I've actually never played 3, but I assume it's similar.

[To Far Away Times]

Darius Burst CS has the goods.

There are 10 progressively difficult routes to tackle, and a handful of ships that all play very differently from each other. And it's arcade quality.

Don't even need to bother with the CS mode, there's enough on the arcade side to last for a very long time.

[Jonpachi]

Singe player games you say...



Maybe Syvalion? Dragon Spirit?

[jandrogo]

Zero Ranger does not have unlockable content, but it has some crazy twists and there are some ends after you think it ended… top game

[SuperDeadite]

Not a traditional shmup, but I think most shmup fans would enjoy it, so I'll a shout out to Baldr Sky. You can easily spend 200 hours on completing it.

[M.Knight]

I've actually never played [Castle of Shikigami] 3, but I assume it's similar.

Yep definitely. It even has the largest roster in the series with 10 characters each having their 2 shikigami subtypes. The scoring meta is a bit different with less emphasis on grazing since you can spend bombs for temporary x8 tension, but character variety is still pretty strong.

Oh, and with Dramatic Change mode there's lots of storylines to enjoy in casual playthroughs

[lastemperorjubei]

The Cave releases like Akai Katana, DoDonPachi DOJ and DFK and SDOJ, Espgaluda 2 and Mushihimesama by M2/City Connection/LiveWire have multiple different versions and arranges, also challenge mode in M2 games like Esprade and DDP DOJ. Angel at Dusk Chronicle mode will keep you busy for quite some time if you want to see everything. Sophstar has lots of missions in Cadet school mode. Crimzon Clover with all the different modes and arranges.

[m.sniffles.esq]

Are there any shoot-'em-ups with engaging single-player content—such as branching paths

Illvelo Swamp has the 'branching paths' thing WELL covered

(was weirded out to see one of the resident milestone fans in this thread, yet it go unmentioned)

[M.Knight]

Hahaha, yeah I must have had my Shikigami hat on this time around
Some of the 3DS entries (Karous BoR and Illvelo Dillinjah) kinda fit the bill too and Dillinjah sets the path for what Swamp will be like. Though if i had to pick between Dillinjah and Swamp, the latter seems a lot better especially if you aren't already a big Milestone/RS34 fan.

[dmk1198]

Great thread
My sorta games